Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Valence

For one person, living is cheaper in Valence: $1,502 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Valence
🇫🇷 France
$1,502
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Valence

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,502 in Valence.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Valence $1,502

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,258 in Valence.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Valence $2,258

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,014 in Valence.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Valence $3,014

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 77% more expensive than in Valence, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Valence 11% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$13.21 €11.75
57.23%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$38.64 €34.37
118.92%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$9.27 €8.24
32.90%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.70 €3.29
52.16%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.98 €2.65
24.83%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.99 €1.77
25.63%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$5.48 €4.87
46.90%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.55 €4.04
98.02%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.10 €0.98
1.82%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.09 €0.97
244.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.17 €1.93
50.23%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.62 €3.22
15.19%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$18.70 €16.63
-31.02%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$13.85 €12.32
2.24%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$24.99 €22.23
-35.09%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.00 €2.67
44.33%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.48 €2.21
-41.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.86 €2.54
57.69%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.84 €3.42
13.02%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.35 €2.09
9.79%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.96 €2.63
-20.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.68 €1.50
5.95%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.21 €0.19
957.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$13.87 €12.34
-28.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$3.33 €2.96
352.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.79 €3.37
-22.96%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.69 €2.39
28.62%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.58 €1.41
-5.70%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$22.75 €20.23
83.38%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$5.14 €4.57
-46.89%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.64 €1.46
1.22%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$33.64 €29.92
4.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.21 €1.97
-57.01%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$34.7K €30.8K
3.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$35.8K €31.9K
-24.43%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$140 €124
63.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$11.35 €10.09
423.26%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$28.33 €25.20
146.77%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$27.79 €24.72
105.97%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$16.81 €14.95
-2.86%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$13.68 €12.17
4.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$729 €649
106.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$12.9K €11.5K
66.27%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$78.4 €69.7
-32.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$63.9 €56.9
-31.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$105 €93.0
-18.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$178 €158
-42.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$534 €475
257.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$440 €391
189.48%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$768 €683
377.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$668 €594
279.93%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$3,183 €2,831
139.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$2,717 €2,416
16.22%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Valence
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,567 €2,283
99.49%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.81
78.22%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Valence: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Valence
$440 65.5% $834
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Valence
$359 11.2% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Valence
$179 49.9% $179
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Valence
$234 33.8% $120
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Valence
$191 49.4% $63
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Valence
$55 35.7% $31
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Valence
$42 27.7% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $534 in Valence. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 99% 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 $39.00 in Valence for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $359 per month, with Valence cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇫🇷 Valence
🕒 Local time
08:37 8:37 AM
15:37 3:37 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
64,483
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Valence 8,580 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Valence

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 Valence: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Valence?
Valence wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Valence the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Valence?
Average pay runs 99% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Valence?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $534 in Valence. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Valence?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,502 in Valence – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Valence?
A monthly transit pass in Valence runs roughly 83% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Valence?
At $1,502 in Valence versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Valence but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Valence the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Valence?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Valence?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Valence are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Valence gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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