Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Urbandale, IA

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbandale, IA: $2,285 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
110

Cost of Living Index in Urbandale, IA
Learn more

Urbandale, IA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Urbandale, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,285

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Urbandale, IA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,285 in Urbandale, IA.

Austin, TX $2,689
Urbandale, IA $2,285

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,346 in Urbandale, IA.

Austin, TX $4,112
Urbandale, IA $3,346

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,407 in Urbandale, IA.

Austin, TX $5,534
Urbandale, IA $4,407

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 18% more expensive than in Urbandale, IA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$14.85 $14.85

43.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$50.1 $50.1

75.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.90 $9.90

25.66%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.09 $5.09

10.02%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.24 $1.24

194.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.00 $1.00

139.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.18 $5.18

50.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$7.78 $7.78

12.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.01 $1.01

10.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.34 $3.34

8.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$3.91 $3.91

-10.49%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.15 $2.15

106.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$14.26 $14.26

-7.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$9.95 $9.95

40.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$13.42 $13.42

22.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.22 $3.22

46.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.60 $1.60

-6.25%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.57 $3.57

29.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.17 $3.17

42.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.21 $3.21

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.46 $3.46

-30.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.07 $2.07

-11.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.07 $2.07

2.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$8.19 $8.19

22.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.31 $12.31

20.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.75 $1.75

61.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.98 $1.98

66.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.95 $1.95

-36.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$59.2 $59.2

-30.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.47 $2.47

8.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.29 $1.29

26.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$41.87 $41.87

-15.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.00 $1.00

-2.00%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$34.6K $34.6K

-0.54%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.48%

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

$252 $252

$139 $139

81.50%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$15.15 $15.15

294.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$24.56 $24.56

183.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$43.88 $43.88

37.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$20.21 $20.21

-10.24%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$15.09 $15.09

-8.88%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,149 $1,149

26.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$23.7K $23.7K

11.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$60.7 $60.7

-13.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$21.57 $21.57

112.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$44.29 $44.29

92.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$76.2 $76.2

38.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$928 $928

136.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,262 $1,262

0.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,243 $1,243

221.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,129 $2,129

13.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,786 $2,786

164.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,122 $2,122

39.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,637 $3,637

38.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.71

1.64%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Urbandale, IA: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Urbandale, IA

$1.3K 55.2% 0.5% $6.9

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Urbandale, IA

$343 15% 15.7% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Urbandale, IA

$179 7.8% 53.2% $203

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Urbandale, IA

$260 11.4% 27% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Urbandale, IA

$91 4% 30% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Urbandale, IA

$74 3.2% 15.7% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Urbandale, IA

$76 3.3% 32.8% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $928 in Urbandale, IA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $50 in Urbandale, IA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $343 per month, with Urbandale, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Urbandale, IA

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

45,580

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Urbandale, IA 1,310 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Urbandale, IA

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 Urbandale, IA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urbandale, IA 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 Urbandale, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $928 in Urbandale, IA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,285 in Urbandale, IA – Urbandale, IA is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in Urbandale, IA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Urbandale, IA 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 – Urbandale, IA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.