Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Waukegan, IL

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Waukegan, IL: $2,698 and $2,588 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Waukegan, IL
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Waukegan, IL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Waukegan, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,588

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Waukegan, IL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,588 in Waukegan, IL.

Austin, TX $2,698
Waukegan, IL $2,588

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,760 in Waukegan, IL.

Austin, TX $4,160
Waukegan, IL $3,760

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,931 in Waukegan, IL.

Austin, TX $5,622
Waukegan, IL $4,931

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 4% more expensive than in Waukegan, IL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Waukegan, IL 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$18.80 $18.80

9.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.9 $73.9

14.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.09 $11.09

8.84%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.04 $5.04

8.73%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.47 $2.47

53.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.95 $1.95

26.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.12 $6.12

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.15 $7.15

24.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.01 $1.01

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.44 $3.44

8.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.19 $4.19

-19.57%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.06 $4.06

6.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.46 $12.46

5.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.48 $11.48

23.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.19 $15.19

7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.94 $4.94

-7.89%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 $1.56

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.15 $4.15

13.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.60 $4.60

-9.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.77 $2.77

-6.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.86 $2.86

-17.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 $2.02

-12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.08 $2.08

2.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.56 $9.56

5.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.83 $13.83

9.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.77 $1.77

59.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.28 $3.28

4.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.96 $1.96

-21.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.52 $3.52

-20.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.58 $1.58

1.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$28.94 $28.94

18.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.91 $0.91

3.30%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$29.7K $29.7K

14.23%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.6K $25.6K

4.56%

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

$223 $223

$188 $188

18.24%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$51.9 $51.9

13.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$66.3 $66.3

6.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.42 $42.42

36.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.37 $13.37

6.66%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,314 $1,314

14.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.5K $23.5K

-11.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$51.5 $51.5

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.19 $40.19

9.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$87.5 $87.5

-0.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$114 $114

-8.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,631 $1,631

18.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,373 $1,373

-4.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,587 $2,587

41.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,235 $2,235

14.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,798 $2,798

162.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,430 $2,430

28.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.51

4.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Waukegan, IL: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Waukegan, IL

$1.4K 53.1% 4.3% $57

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Waukegan, IL

$382 14.7% 6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Waukegan, IL

$306 11.8% 13% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Waukegan, IL

$307 11.9% 12.4% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Waukegan, IL

$132 5.1% 2.3% $2.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Waukegan, IL

$69 2.7% 19.8% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Waukegan, IL

$19 * 0.7% 66.7% $39

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,631 in Waukegan, IL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $74.0 in Waukegan, IL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $382 per month, with Waukegan, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Waukegan, IL

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

89,321

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Waukegan, IL 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Waukegan, IL

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 Waukegan, IL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Waukegan, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Waukegan, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,882 in Waukegan, IL 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,631 in Waukegan, IL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,314 in Waukegan, IL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Waukegan, IL – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Waukegan, IL 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.

Expats usually find Waukegan, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.