Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tulsa, OK

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulsa, OK: $2,227 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
107

Cost of Living Index in Tulsa, OK
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Tulsa, OK Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Tulsa, OK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,227

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Tulsa, OK

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 Tulsa, OK actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,227 in Tulsa, OK.

Austin, TX $2,607
Tulsa, OK $2,227

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,282 in Tulsa, OK.

Austin, TX $4,031
Tulsa, OK $3,282

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,337 in Tulsa, OK.

Austin, TX $5,454
Tulsa, OK $4,337

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Tulsa, OK 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$15.73 $15.73

29.37%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$73.6 $73.6

15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.04 $10.04

20.72%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.06 $5.06

11.66%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.27 $2.27

62.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.73 $1.73

36.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.08 $5.08

54.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.03 $7.03

25.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.09 $1.09

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.58 $3.58

3.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.55 $5.55

-40.36%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.04 $4.04

2.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.23 $15.23

-14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.21 $12.21

13.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.24 $15.24

7.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.43 $4.43

5.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 $1.68

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.72 $3.72

37.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.53 $3.53

28.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.59 $2.59

18.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.89 $2.89

-17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.92 $1.92

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.10 $10.10

-1.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.35 $13.35

12.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.00 $2.00

45.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.81 $4.81

-30.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.79 $1.79

-31.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$44.22 $44.22

-8.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.96 $1.96

41.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.25 $1.25

32.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.62 $29.62

19.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.91 $0.91

4.40%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$26.6K $26.6K

28.58%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.47%

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

$223 $223

$247 $247

-9.89%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$69.1 $69.1

-15.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$64.0 $64.0

11.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$43.26 $43.26

22.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$20.35 $20.35

-17.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.74 $13.74

2.33%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,194 $1,194

22.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$25.3K $25.3K

-15.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$73.6 $73.6

-28.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$61.1 $61.1

-30.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$121 $121

-28.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$148 $148

-29.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,280 $1,280

64.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$866 $866

42.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,500 $2,500

54.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,380 $1,380

74.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,786 $1,786

315.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,652 $1,652

85.25%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,494 $3,494

48.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.59

3.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Tulsa, OK: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Tulsa, OK

$866 38.9% 29.6% $364

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Tulsa, OK

$397 17.8% 3.2% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Tulsa, OK

$380 17.1% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Tulsa, OK

$272 12.2% 21.8% $76

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Tulsa, OK

$182 8.2% 41.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Tulsa, OK

$71 3.2% 12.9% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Tulsa, OK

$60 2.7% 5.6% $3.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,280 in Tulsa, OK. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Tulsa, OK for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $397 per month, with Tulsa, OK cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Tulsa, OK

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

413,066

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Tulsa, OK 670 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tulsa, OK

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 Tulsa, OK: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tulsa, OK wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Tulsa, OK the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 48% 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 $1,280 in Tulsa, OK. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,227 in Tulsa, OK – Tulsa, OK is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 8% less than in Tulsa, OK. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tulsa, OK 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.

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