Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tucson, AZ

For one person, living is cheaper in Tucson, AZ: $2,327 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
111

Cost of Living Index in Tucson, AZ
Learn more

Tucson, AZ Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Tucson, AZ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,327

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Tucson, AZ

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 Tucson, AZ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,327 in Tucson, AZ.

Austin, TX $2,607
Tucson, AZ $2,327

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,432 in Tucson, AZ.

Austin, TX $4,031
Tucson, AZ $3,432

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,537 in Tucson, AZ.

Austin, TX $5,454
Tucson, AZ $4,537

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Tucson, AZ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Tucson, AZ 71% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.86 $19.86

2.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.4 $79.4

6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$13.06 $13.06

-7.20%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.13 $5.13

10.14%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.75 $2.75

33.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.22 $2.22

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.09 $7.09

11.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.35 $7.35

20.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.95 $0.95

20.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.27 $3.27

12.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.12 $5.12

-35.35%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.55 $4.55

-8.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.54 $13.54

-4.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.36 $11.36

22.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.96 $16.96

-3.66%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.65 $4.65

0.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.87 $1.87

-22.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.95 $3.95

29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.09 $4.09

10.51%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.45 $2.45

25.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.92 $2.92

-18.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.07 $2.07

-13.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.08 $2.08

6.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.04 $11.04

-9.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.23 $13.23

13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.44 $2.44

19.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.76 $3.76

-11.44%

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

$2.69 $2.69

3.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.41 $1.41

17.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$36.18 $36.18

-2.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.08 $1.08

-12.04%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-4.53%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.34%

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

$223 $223

$194 $194

14.75%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$62.9 $62.9

-6.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$74.3 $74.3

-4.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$36.51 $36.51

45.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$10.06 $10.06

66.50%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.14 $13.14

7.00%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,053 $1,053

38.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$15.8K $15.8K

35.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.3 $54.3

-3.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$43.38 $43.38

-1.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$97.1 $97.1

-10.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$112 $112

-7.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,434 $1,434

47.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,063 $1,063

15.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,264 $2,264

70.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,722 $1,722

39.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,364 $3,364

120.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,539 $2,539

20.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,016 $4,016

28.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.44

5.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tucson, AZ: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Tucson, AZ

$1.1K 45.7% 13.6% $168

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Tucson, AZ

$392 16.9% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Tucson, AZ

$332 14.3% 6% $21

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Tucson, AZ

$330 14.2% 5.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Tucson, AZ

$138 5.9% 7.5% $9.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Tucson, AZ

$63 2.7% 22.6% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Tucson, AZ

$9.7 * 0.4% 82.8% $47

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 $1,434 in Tucson, AZ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 29% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Tucson, AZ for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $392 per month, with Tucson, AZ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Tucson, AZ

🕒 Local time

23:02 11:02 PM

21:02 9:02 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

520,116

💱 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 Tucson, AZ 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tucson, AZ

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 Tucson, AZ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tucson, AZ wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tucson, AZ the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 29% 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 $1,434 in Tucson, AZ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,053 in Tucson, AZ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Tucson, AZ – a meal for two runs $79 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 Tucson, AZ gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Tucson, AZ 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.

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