Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Toms River, NJ

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,884 in Toms River, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toms River, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Toms River, NJ
Learn more

Toms River, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Toms River, NJ

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 Toms River, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,884 in Toms River, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Toms River, NJ $2,884

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,311 in Toms River, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Toms River, NJ $4,311

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,738 in Toms River, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Toms River, NJ $5,738

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 10% less than in Toms River, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Toms River, NJ 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.87 $19.87

2.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$74.2 $74.2

14.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.05 $12.05

0.58%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.53 $5.53

2.17%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.68 $3.68

$2.57 $2.57

43.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.86 $1.86

26.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.03 $5.03

56.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.89 $6.89

28.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.41 $1.41

-19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.61 $4.61

-19.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.42 $2.42

36.78%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.61 $4.61

-9.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$16.29 $16.29

-20.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$16.95 $16.95

-18.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.81 $16.81

-2.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.98 $5.98

-21.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.30 $1.30

11.54%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.15 $5.15

-0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.92 $5.92

-23.65%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.58 $1.58

94.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.74 $2.74

-13.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.53 $2.53

-28.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.94 $1.94

14.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.84 $9.84

1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.09 $10.09

49.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.80 $2.80

3.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.42 $3.42

-2.63%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.99 $2.99

-7.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.13 $2.13

-22.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$41.41 $41.41

-14.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.92 $0.92

3.26%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.8K $30.8K

11.17%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.12%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$223 $223

$243 $243

-8.05%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$58.5 $58.5

$37.24 $37.24

57.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$62.0 $62.0

14.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$30.15 $30.15

75.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$17.15 $17.15

-18.02%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$3,103 $3,103

-52.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$34.4K $34.4K

-37.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$69.8 $69.8

-24.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$75.8 $75.8

-43.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$120 $120

-28.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,617 $1,617

30.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,527 $1,527

-19.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,900 $2,900

33.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,766 $2,766

-13.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,268 $5,268

-1.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.67

2.25%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Toms River, NJ: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Toms River, NJ

$1.5K 53% 24.1% $296

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Toms River, NJ

$445 15.4% 8.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Toms River, NJ

$342 11.9% 3.1% $11

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Toms River, NJ

$318 11% 8.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Toms River, NJ

$174 6% 35.7% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Toms River, NJ

$64 2.2% 20.6% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Toms River, NJ

$14 * 0.5% 75.9% $43

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,617 in Toms River, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Toms River, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $445, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

16:49 4:49 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

95,438

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Toms River, NJ 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Toms River, NJ

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 Toms River, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Toms River, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $4,326 in Toms River, NJ to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,617 in Toms River, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $3,103 in Toms River, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toms River, NJ – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.