Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Waterford, MI

For one person, living is cheaper in Waterford, MI: $2,403 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Waterford, MI
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Waterford, MI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Waterford, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,403

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Waterford, MI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,403 in Waterford, MI.

Austin, TX $2,607
Waterford, MI $2,403

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,641 in Waterford, MI.

Austin, TX $4,031
Waterford, MI $3,641

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,879 in Waterford, MI.

Austin, TX $5,454
Waterford, MI $4,879

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Waterford, MI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Waterford, MI 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.36 $18.36

10.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$74.2 $74.2

14.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.35 $9.35

29.63%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.59 $4.59

23.09%

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

$1.67 $1.67

41.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.92 $5.92

32.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.41 $4.41

100.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.85 $0.85

34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.61 $3.61

2.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.25 $3.25

1.85%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.03 $2.03

104.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$10.99 $10.99

18.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.61 $14.61

11.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.88 $4.88

-3.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.07 $1.07

35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.55 $5.55

-7.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.51 $4.51

0.22%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.17 $2.17

41.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.60 $3.60

-33.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.23 $2.23

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.43 $2.43

-8.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.32 $10.32

-3.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.76 $14.76

1.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.04 $2.04

42.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.49 $2.49

33.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.01 $2.01

-39.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$59.0 $59.0

-31.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.61 $4.61

-39.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.94 $1.94

-14.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$31.80 $31.80

11.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 $1.06

-10.38%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.3K $27.3K

25.44%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.82%

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

$223 $223

$132 $132

68.61%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$49.02 $49.02

19.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$72.3 $72.3

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.91 $40.91

29.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.49 $13.49

4.23%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$893 $893

63.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.2K $21.2K

0.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.1 $64.1

-18.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$77.2 $77.2

-44.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$97.1 $97.1

-11.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$119 $119

-12.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,738 $1,738

21.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,170 $1,170

5.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,452 $2,452

57.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,092 $2,092

15.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,066 $3,066

142.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,352 $2,352

30.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Waterford, MI: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Waterford, MI

$1.2K 48.7% 4.9% $61

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Waterford, MI

$384 16% 6.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Waterford, MI

$254 10.6% 28.1% $99

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Waterford, MI

$286 11.9% 17.7% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Waterford, MI

$161 6.7% 25.1% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Waterford, MI

$68 2.8% 16.4% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Waterford, MI

$81 3.4% 44.1% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,738 in Waterford, MI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $74 in Waterford, MI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $384 per month, with Waterford, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Waterford, MI

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

11:11 11:11 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

19,517

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Waterford, MI 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Waterford, MI

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 Waterford, MI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waterford, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Waterford, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,605 in Waterford, MI to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,738 in Waterford, MI. 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 $2,403 in Waterford, MI – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 31% less than in Waterford, MI. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Waterford, MI gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.