Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Trenton, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Trenton, NJ: $2,607 and $2,563 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Trenton, NJ
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Trenton, NJ Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Trenton, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,563

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Trenton, 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 Trenton, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,563 in Trenton, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Trenton, NJ $2,563

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,114 in Trenton, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Trenton, NJ $4,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,665 in Trenton, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Trenton, NJ $5,665

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Trenton, NJ; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Trenton, NJ 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.22 $18.22

11.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$65.4 $65.4

29.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.20 $12.20

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.86 $4.86

16.26%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.63 $2.63

39.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.15 $2.15

9.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.97 $6.97

12.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.77 $7.77

13.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.21 $1.21

-5.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.95 $3.95

-6.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.74 $1.74

90.23%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.79 $4.79

-13.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.27 $12.27

5.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$10.07 $10.07

37.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$10.81 $10.81

51.16%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.39 $4.39

6.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.26 $2.26

-35.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.36 $3.36

52.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.42 $4.42

2.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.03 $2.03

51.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.40 $3.40

-30.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.97 $1.97

-8.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.03 $2.03

9.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$14.66 $14.66

-31.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.86 $7.86

91.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.67 $2.67

8.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.40 $3.40

-2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.81 $1.81

-32.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$56.4 $56.4

-28.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.07 $3.07

-9.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.12 $2.12

-22.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$42.52 $42.52

-16.77%

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

11.08%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.41%

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

$223 $223

$139 $139

60.10%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$60.8 $60.8

-3.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$63.0 $63.0

12.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$30.07 $30.07

76.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.53 $12.53

12.21%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$3,019 $3,019

-51.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$34.7K $34.7K

-38.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$61.6 $61.6

-14.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$50.5 $50.5

-15.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$89.4 $89.4

-3.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,724 $1,724

22.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,362 $1,362

-9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,398 $2,398

61.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,991 $2,991

-19.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,075 $3,075

141.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,069 $3,069

-0.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,335 $3,335

55.31%

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 Trenton, NJ: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Trenton, NJ

$1.4K 53.2% 10.7% $132

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Trenton, NJ

$350 13.6% 14.7% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Trenton, NJ

$263 10.3% 25.4% $90

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Trenton, NJ

$310 12.1% 10.9% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Trenton, NJ

$145 5.7% 13.1% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Trenton, NJ

$55 2.2% 32.1% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Trenton, NJ

$77 3% 37% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,724 in Trenton, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 55% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $65 in Trenton, NJ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $350 per month, with Trenton, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Trenton, NJ

🕒 Local time

10:02 10:02 AM

11:02 11:02 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

83,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Trenton, NJ 2,350 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Trenton, 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 Trenton, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Average pay runs 55% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,724 in Trenton, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $3,019 in Trenton, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Trenton, NJ – a meal for two runs $65 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Trenton, NJ gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Trenton, NJ wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.