Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Troy, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Troy, MI: $2,302 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Troy, MI
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Troy, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Troy, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Troy, MI

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 Troy, MI actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,302 in Troy, MI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Troy, MI $2,302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,520 in Troy, MI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Troy, MI $3,520

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,739 in Troy, MI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Troy, MI $4,739

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Troy, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Troy, MI 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$16.23 $16.23

25.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$73.9 $73.9

14.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.68 $10.68

13.48%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.46 $4.46

26.68%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.53 $2.53

45.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.81 $1.81

30.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.13 $5.13

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.89 $5.89

49.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.74 $0.74

54.05%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.99 $2.99

23.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.47 $4.47

-25.95%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.87 $2.87

44.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.99 $10.99

18.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.50 $8.50

63.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.77 $14.77

10.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.42 $3.42

37.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.07 $1.07

35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.38 $3.38

51.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.32 $4.32

4.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.59 $2.59

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.04 $3.04

-21.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.12 $2.12

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.48 $2.48

-10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.02 $9.02

10.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.14 $14.14

6.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.56 $1.56

86.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.43 $2.43

37.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.92 $2.92

-58.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$9.88 $9.88

-71.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$3.04 $3.04

-45.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$9.93 $9.93

256.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$31.1K $31.1K

10.07%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.1K $24.1K

11.15%

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

$223 $223

$172 $172

29.92%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$42.61 $42.61

37.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$43.78 $43.78

62.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$34.38 $34.38

54.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$35.83 $35.83

-53.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.18 $10.18

38.11%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,755 $1,755

-16.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$15.3K $15.3K

39.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.3 $52.3

0.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$22.24 $22.24

92.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$81.5 $81.5

6.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$91.8 $91.8

13.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,341 $1,341

57.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,233 $1,233

-0.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,374 $2,374

62.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,288 $2,288

5.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,679 $2,679

177.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,297 $2,297

33.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,482 $5,482

-5.53%

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 Troy, MI: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Troy, MI

$1.2K 53.5% 0.2% $2.3

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Troy, MI

$338 14.7% 17.5% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Troy, MI

$258 11.2% 26.8% $95

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Troy, MI

$270 11.7% 22.4% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Troy, MI

$112 4.8% 13.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Troy, MI

$55 2.4% 32.6% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Troy, MI

$37 * 1.6% 34.9% $20

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 $1,341 in Troy, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Troy, MI pays 6% 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 Troy, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $338 per month, with Troy, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Troy, MI

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

14:48 2:48 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

51,401

💱 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 Troy, MI 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Troy, MI

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 Troy, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Troy, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Troy, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 6% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,341 in Troy, MI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,755 in Troy, MI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Troy, MI – 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. Troy, MI 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.