Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Union City, TN

For one person, living is cheaper in Union City, TN: $1,653 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
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Union City, TN Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,653 in Union City, TN.

Austin, TX $2,698
Union City, TN $1,653

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,486 in Union City, TN.

Austin, TX $4,160
Union City, TN $2,486

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,318 in Union City, TN.

Austin, TX $5,622
Union City, TN $3,318

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 63% more expensive than in Union City, TN, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Union City, TN 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$9.87 $9.87

109.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.3 $50.3

68.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.95 $6.95

73.67%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.11 $3.11

76.21%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.20 $2.20

72.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.56 $1.56

58.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.90 $3.90

106.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.89 $3.89

128.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.92 $0.92

20.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.38 $2.38

56.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.07 $2.07

62.80%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.69 $2.69

60.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.88 $7.88

66.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.85 $8.85

59.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.69 $18.69

-12.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.44 $4.44

2.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.26 $1.26

15.87%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.70 $2.70

74.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.43 $4.43

-6.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.19 $2.19

17.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.83 $1.83

28.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.38 $1.38

55.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.83 $6.83

47.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.97 $13.97

8.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.05 $2.05

37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.84 $1.84

86.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.85 $1.85

-16.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.85 $4.85

-42.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$21.16 $21.16

62.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.83 $0.83

13.25%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$37.1K $37.1K

-8.34%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.3K $27.3K

-1.88%

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

$223 $223

$228 $228

-2.40%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$33.13 $33.13

77.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$75.2 $75.2

-6.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.53 $41.53

38.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$7.06 $7.06

134.14%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.82 $14.82

-3.78%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,465 $1,465

3.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$30.8K $30.8K

-32.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$55.4 $55.4

-7.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.06 $43.06

2.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$90.9 $90.9

-4.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$136 $136

-23.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$724 $724

167.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$585 $585

125.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,155 $1,155

217.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,099 $1,099

133.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,327 $2,327

216.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,591 $2,591

20.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,019 $2,019

161.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Union City, TN

$585 35.4% 55.6% $731

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Union City, TN

$315 19% 22.5% $91

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Union City, TN

$336 20.4% 4.5% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Union City, TN

$179 10.9% 48.7% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Union City, TN

$147 8.9% 13.6% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Union City, TN

$71 4.3% 17.5% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2% 65.7% $38

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $724 in Union City, TN. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 162% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $50.0 in Union City, TN for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $315 per month, with Union City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

63,930

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Union City, TN 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Union City, TN

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 Union City, TN: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Union City, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Union City, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 162% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $724 in Union City, TN. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,465 in Union City, TN. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Union City, TN – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Union City, TN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Union City, TN the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Union City, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.