Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Union, SC

For one person, living is cheaper in Union, SC: $2,296 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
113

Cost of Living Index in Union, SC
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Union, SC Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Union, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,296

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,296 in Union, SC.

Austin, TX $2,698
Union, SC $2,296

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,597 in Union, SC.

Austin, TX $4,160
Union, SC $3,597

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,897 in Union, SC.

Austin, TX $5,622
Union, SC $4,897

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Union, SC 69% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$9.15 $9.15

125.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$99.0 $99.0

-14.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.51 $8.51

41.83%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.98 $5.98

-8.36%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.33 $2.33

63.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.94 $1.94

27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.80 $2.80

187.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$3.42 $3.42

159.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.07 $1.07

3.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.26 $3.26

14.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.45 $2.45

37.55%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.30 $3.30

30.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.96 $8.96

46.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.31 $13.31

6.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.71 $14.71

11.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.81 $2.81

61.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.31 $1.31

11.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.24 $3.24

45.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.44 $4.44

-6.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.37 $2.37

8.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.12 $2.12

10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.75 $1.75

1.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.29 $1.29

65.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.35 $8.35

20.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$8.75 $8.75

73.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.79 $1.79

57.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.16 $5.16

-33.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.09 $2.09

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.62 $4.62

-39.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.02 $3.02

-47.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$34.96 $34.96

-1.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.91 $0.91

3.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

21.48%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.2K $25.2K

6.04%

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

$223 $223

$177 $177

25.75%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$64.9 $64.9

-9.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$45.72 $45.72

54.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.73 $41.73

38.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.17 $13.17

8.28%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,585 $2,585

-41.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.0K $23.0K

-9.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$47.21 $47.21

8.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$20.96 $20.96

110.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$85.6 $85.6

1.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$99.0 $99.0

5.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,390 $1,390

39.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,259 $1,259

4.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,203 $2,203

66.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,419 $2,419

6.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,700 $2,700

172.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,125 $2,125

47.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,496 $2,496

111.82%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

69.75%

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, SC: 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, SC

$1.3K 54.8% 4.4% $58

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Union, SC

$332 14.4% 18.3% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Union, SC

$288 12.5% 18.3% $64

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Union, SC

$208 9.1% 40.5% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Union, SC

$114 5% 11.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Union, SC

$68 3% 21.1% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Union, SC

$28 * 1.2% 51.5% $30

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 $1,390 in Union, SC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 112% 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 $99.0 in Union, SC. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $332, with Union, SC cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Union, SC

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

07:42 7:42 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,000

💱 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, SC 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Union, SC

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, SC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Union, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Union, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 112% 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 $1,390 in Union, SC. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,585 in Union, SC. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Union, SC – a meal for two runs $99.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,296 in Union, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Union, SC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Union, SC 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, SC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.