Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Wausau, WI

For one person, living is cheaper in Wausau, WI: $1,756 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
85

Cost of Living Index in Wausau, WI
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Wausau, WI Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Wausau, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,756

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Wausau, WI

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,756 in Wausau, WI.

Austin, TX $2,698
Wausau, WI $1,756

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,748 in Wausau, WI.

Austin, TX $4,160
Wausau, WI $2,748

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,740 in Wausau, WI.

Austin, TX $5,622
Wausau, WI $3,740

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 54% more expensive than in Wausau, WI, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Wausau, WI 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.20 $20.20

2.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$74.5 $74.5

13.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.58 $8.58

40.68%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.01 $5.01

9.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.84 $2.84

33.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.02 $2.02

22.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.62 $5.62

43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.60 $5.60

58.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.83 $0.83

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.76 $2.76

34.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$5.31 $5.31

-36.53%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.44 $4.44

-2.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.65 $8.65

51.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.49 $6.49

118.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.53 $13.53

20.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.13 $4.13

10.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 $1.45

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.83 $3.83

22.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.13 $4.13

0.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 $1.78

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.44 $2.44

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.21 $2.21

-19.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.03 $1.03

107.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.35 $8.35

20.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$8.96 $8.96

69.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.98 $1.98

42.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.21 $2.21

55.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.72 $2.72

2.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.62 $1.62

-1.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$21.12 $21.12

62.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.81 $0.81

16.05%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.5K $33.5K

1.42%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.7K $25.7K

4.31%

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

$223 $223

$160 $160

39.22%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$66.5 $66.5

-11.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.3 $71.3

-1.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$30.10 $30.10

91.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$6.03 $6.03

136.48%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,855 $1,855

-18.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.7K $24.7K

-15.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$25.25 $25.25

103.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.16 $40.16

9.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$64.0 $64.0

35.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$84.8 $84.8

23.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$939 $939

106.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$699 $699

88.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,548 $1,548

136.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,361 $1,361

88.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,774 $1,774

314.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,809 $1,809

73.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,488 $3,488

51.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.65

2.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Wausau, WI: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Wausau, WI

$699 39.8% 46.9% $617

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Wausau, WI

$303 17.3% 25.4% $103

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Wausau, WI

$298 17% 15.5% $54

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Wausau, WI

$306 17.4% 12.5% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Wausau, WI

$96 5.5% 25.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Wausau, WI

$42 2.4% 51.1% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Wausau, WI

$11 * 0.6% 81.3% $47

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 $939 in Wausau, WI. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 52% 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 $75.0 in Wausau, WI for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $303 per month, with Wausau, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Wausau, WI

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

38,435

💱 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 Wausau, WI 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Wausau, WI

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 Wausau, WI: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wausau, WI 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 Wausau, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 52% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $939 in Wausau, WI. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,855 in Wausau, WI. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wausau, WI – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,756 in Wausau, WI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Wausau, WI but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Wausau, WI 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Wausau, WI are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Wausau, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.