Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and The Villages, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in The Villages, FL: $2,238 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX, United States
The Villages, FL, United States
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
The Villages, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,238
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in The Villages, FL

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in The Villages, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,238 in The Villages, FL.

  • Austin, TX $2,607
  • The Villages, FL $2,238

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,544 in The Villages, FL.

  • Austin, TX $4,031
  • The Villages, FL $3,544

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,850 in The Villages, FL.

  • Austin, TX $5,454
  • The Villages, FL $4,850

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 17% more expensive than in The Villages, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, The Villages, FL 64% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.35 $20.35
$12.13 $12.13
67.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.7 $84.7
$74.3 $74.3
13.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.12 $12.12
$8.34 $8.34
45.32%
Cappuccino
$5.65 $5.65
$4.39 $4.39
28.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.68 $3.68
$2.44 $2.44
50.82%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.36 $2.36
$2.44 $2.44
-3.28%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.87 $7.87
$5.14 $5.14
53.11%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.82 $8.82
$7.08 $7.08
24.58%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.14 $1.14
$1.06 $1.06
7.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.69 $3.69
$3.61 $3.61
2.22%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.31 $3.31
$4.27 $4.27
-22.48%
Eggs
$4.15 $4.15
$4.23 $4.23
-1.89%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.98 $12.98
$12.51 $12.51
3.76%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$13.86 $13.86
$11.78 $11.78
17.66%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.34 $16.34
$15.45 $15.45
5.76%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$5.14 $5.14
-8.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.29 $1.29
12.40%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.11 $5.11
$4.18 $4.18
22.25%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.52 $4.52
$4.83 $4.83
-6.42%
Potato (1kg)
$3.08 $3.08
$2.60 $2.60
18.46%
Onion (1kg)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.99 $2.99
-20.40%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.80 $1.80
$2.21 $2.21
-18.55%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.14 $2.14
3.74%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.97 $9.97
$9.10 $9.10
9.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.05 $15.05
$14.85 $14.85
1.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.91 $2.91
$2.12 $2.12
37.26%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.33 $3.33
$3.75 $3.75
-11.20%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.22 $1.22
$2.17 $2.17
-43.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.53 $40.53
$52.4 $52.4
-22.58%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.97 $2.97
-6.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.70 $1.70
-2.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.39 $35.39
$31.65 $31.65
11.82%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.87 $0.87
9.20%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K $34.2K
$28.8K $28.8K
18.79%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$22.7K $22.7K
17.95%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$203 $203
9.60%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.5 $58.5
$58.7 $58.7
-0.36%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$70.8 $70.8
0.51%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$53.0 $53.0
$39.73 $39.73
33.50%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.75 $16.75
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.06 $14.06
$14.15 $14.15
-0.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,459 $1,459
$1,374 $1,374
6.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.3K $21.3K
$20.0K $20.0K
6.87%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.5 $52.5
$52.6 $52.6
-0.28%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.75 $42.75
$41.28 $41.28
3.56%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.4 $86.4
$101 $101
-14.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$113 $113
-7.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,112 $2,112
$1,440 $1,440
46.61%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,230 $1,230
$998 $998
23.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,863 $3,863
$2,710 $2,710
42.52%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,407 $2,407
$2,130 $2,130
13.00%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,426 $7,426
$2,877 $2,877
158.14%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,060 $3,060
$2,383 $2,383
28.43%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
The Villages, FL
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,179 $5,179
$6,437 $6,437
-19.54%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.82
6.47
5.41%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for The Villages, FL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.2K
The Villages, FL
$998 18.9% $233
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$410
The Villages, FL
$394 3.9% $16
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$353
The Villages, FL
$333 5.6% $20
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
The Villages, FL
$234 32.7% $114
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
The Villages, FL
$138 7.7% $9.9
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$81
The Villages, FL
$68 16.2% $13
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$56
The Villages, FL
$72 28.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,440 in The Villages, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

The Villages, FL pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in The Villages, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $394 per month, with The Villages, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇺🇸 The Villages, FL
🕒 Local time
04:14 4:14 AM
05:14 5:14 AM
1 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
79,077
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 1, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX The Villages, FL 1,530 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • The Villages, FL

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.
Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index
Austin, TX vs The Villages, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or The Villages, FL?
The Villages, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making The Villages, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in The Villages, FL?
On paper, salaries run 20% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to The Villages, FL?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,440 in The Villages, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to The Villages, FL?
All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,238 in The Villages, FL – The Villages, FL is about 14% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to The Villages, FL?
A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 23% less than in The Villages, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in The Villages, FL?
At $2,238 in The Villages, FL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in The Villages, FL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes The Villages, FL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for families?
For families, The Villages, FL is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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