Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Wallingford, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in Wallingford, CT: $1,247 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Wallingford, CT
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Wallingford, CT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Wallingford, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$1,247

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Wallingford, CT

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,247 in Wallingford, CT.

Austin, TX $2,689
Wallingford, CT $1,247

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,001 in Wallingford, CT.

Austin, TX $4,112
Wallingford, CT $2,001

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $2,756 in Wallingford, CT.

Austin, TX $5,534
Wallingford, CT $2,756

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 116% more expensive than in Wallingford, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Wallingford, CT is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$19.74 $19.74

8.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$74.2 $74.2

18.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.91 $12.91

-3.64%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.25 $5.25

6.67%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.91 $2.91

25.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.51 $2.51

-4.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.17 $6.17

26.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.41 $8.41

4.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 $1.04

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.45 $4.45

-18.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$7.55 $7.55

-53.64%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$6.08 $6.08

-26.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.48 $10.48

25.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$10.85 $10.85

28.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$19.26 $19.26

-14.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.66 $5.66

-16.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.20 $2.20

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.40 $3.40

36.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.03 $3.03

49.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.24 $2.24

13.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.46 $2.46

-2.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.75 $2.75

-33.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.57 $2.57

-17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$13.55 $13.55

-25.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.92 $16.92

-12.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.83 $1.83

54.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.75 $2.75

19.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.98 $2.98

-10.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.21 $2.21

-26.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$42.30 $42.30

-16.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.17 $1.17

-16.24%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$28.3K $28.3K

21.63%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.52%

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

$252 $252

$198 $198

27.63%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$36.59 $36.59

63.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$61.6 $61.6

13.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$25.14 $25.14

140.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$12.59 $12.59

9.21%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$2,143 $2,143

-31.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$33.8K $33.8K

-21.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$39.00 $39.00

34.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$16.20 $16.20

182.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$99.7 $99.7

-14.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$140 $140

-24.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,602 $1,602

37.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,655 $4,655

8.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Wallingford, CT: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Wallingford, CT

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Wallingford, CT

$425 34.1% 4.4% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Wallingford, CT

$296 23.7% 22.5% $86

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Wallingford, CT

$329 26.4% 7.6% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Wallingford, CT

$133 10.6% 1.7% $2.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Wallingford, CT

$50 4% 42.7% $38

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Wallingford, CT

$14 * 1.1% 75.4% $43

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,602 in Wallingford, CT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% 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: $88 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Wallingford, CT. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $425, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Wallingford, CT

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

03:12 3:12 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,740

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Wallingford, CT 2,550 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Wallingford, CT

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 Wallingford, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wallingford, CT wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Wallingford, CT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 8% 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 $1,602 in Wallingford, CT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $2,143 in Wallingford, CT. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wallingford, CT – a meal for two runs $74 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,247 in Wallingford, CT versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wallingford, CT but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Wallingford, CT 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.

It comes down to priorities – Wallingford, CT wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.