Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Virginia Beach, VA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Virginia Beach, VA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Virginia Beach, VA
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Virginia Beach, VA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Virginia Beach, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,871

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Virginia Beach, VA

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 Virginia Beach, VA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Virginia Beach, VA $2,871

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,064 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Virginia Beach, VA $4,064

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,257 in Virginia Beach, VA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Virginia Beach, VA $5,257

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Virginia Beach, VA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Virginia Beach, VA 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.35 $18.35

10.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$90.9 $90.9

-6.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.22 $12.22

-0.82%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.00 $6.00

-5.83%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.81 $2.81

30.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.16 $2.16

9.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.02 $6.02

30.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.19 $7.19

22.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.04 $1.04

9.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.08 $3.08

19.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.47 $5.47

-39.49%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.74 $4.74

-12.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.49 $10.49

23.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.62 $9.62

44.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.16 $18.16

-10.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.52 $2.52

86.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.61 $1.61

-9.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.13 $5.13

-0.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.77 $5.77

-21.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.28 $2.28

35.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.51 $4.51

-47.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.78 $1.78

1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.37 $2.37

-6.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.57 $9.57

4.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.18 $12.18

23.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.75 $1.75

66.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.20 $2.20

51.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.03 $2.03

-39.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$70.8 $70.8

-42.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.56 $4.56

-39.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.32 $1.32

25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$19.82 $19.82

78.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

25.98%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.79%

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

$223 $223

$208 $208

7.42%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.8 $59.8

-2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$66.9 $66.9

6.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$25.57 $25.57

107.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$35.66 $35.66

-53.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$9.49 $9.49

48.16%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,620 $1,620

-9.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$16.1K $16.1K

32.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$61.8 $61.8

-15.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$47.94 $47.94

-10.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$117 $117

-26.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-8.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,966 $1,966

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,553 $1,553

-20.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,867 $2,867

34.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,246 $2,246

7.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,706 $2,706

174.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,334 $2,334

31.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,353 $4,353

18.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Virginia Beach, VA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Virginia Beach, VA

$1.6K 54.1% 26.2% $322

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Virginia Beach, VA

$377 13.1% 8.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Virginia Beach, VA

$334 11.6% 5.2% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Virginia Beach, VA

$320 11.1% 8.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Virginia Beach, VA

$153 5.3% 19.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Virginia Beach, VA

$45 1.6% 45.1% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Virginia Beach, VA

$90 3.1% 59.6% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $91 in Virginia Beach, VA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $377, with Virginia Beach, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Virginia Beach, VA

🕒 Local time

18:02 6:02 PM

19:02 7:02 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

459,470

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Virginia Beach, VA 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Virginia Beach, VA

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 Virginia Beach, VA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Virginia Beach, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $1,966 in Virginia Beach, VA. 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 $2,871 in Virginia Beach, VA – Austin, TX is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 43% less than in Virginia Beach, VA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.