Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and West Caldwell, NJ

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in West Caldwell, NJ: $2,698 and $2,828 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in West Caldwell, NJ
Learn more

West Caldwell, NJ Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

West Caldwell, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in West Caldwell, NJ

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 West Caldwell, NJ actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,828 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Austin, TX $2,698
West Caldwell, NJ $2,828

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,976 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Austin, TX $4,160
West Caldwell, NJ $3,976

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,123 in West Caldwell, NJ.

Austin, TX $5,622
West Caldwell, NJ $5,123

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 5% less than in West Caldwell, NJ, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, West Caldwell, NJ 109% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.87 $21.87

-5.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.2 $79.2

6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.69 $12.69

-4.89%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.29 $5.29

3.59%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.00 $3.00

26.67%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.30 $2.30

7.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.83 $5.83

38.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.85 $7.85

13.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.40 $1.40

-20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.42 $4.42

-15.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$7.20 $7.20

-53.19%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.10 $5.10

-15.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.32 $12.32

6.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.94 $12.94

9.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.08 $18.08

-9.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.41 $5.41

-15.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 $1.53

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.06 $5.06

-6.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.29 $5.29

-21.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.08 $3.08

-23.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.50 $2.50

-29.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.42 $2.42

-11.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$12.02 $12.02

-15.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.29 $15.29

-0.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.40 $2.40

17.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.43 $4.43

-22.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.28 $2.28

-32.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.71 $2.71

3.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 $1.54

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.39 $24.39

40.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.10 $1.10

-14.55%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$31.4K $31.4K

8.34%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.91%

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

$223 $223

$217 $217

2.47%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$63.1 $63.1

-6.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$65.3 $65.3

8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.56 $38.56

49.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.60 $15.60

-8.59%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,198 $2,198

-31.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$42.8K $42.8K

-51.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$47.95 $47.95

6.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$47.46 $47.46

-6.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$103 $103

-15.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$138 $138

-24.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,626 $1,626

19.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,447 $1,447

-9.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,196 $2,196

66.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,075 $2,075

23.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,488 $2,488

195.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,482 $2,482

26.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,996 $2,996

76.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.62

2.57%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for West Caldwell, NJ: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

West Caldwell, NJ

$1.4K 51.2% 10% $131

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

West Caldwell, NJ

$451 16% 11.2% $45

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

West Caldwell, NJ

$346 12.2% 1.8% $6.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

West Caldwell, NJ

$343 12.1% 2.1% $7.5

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

West Caldwell, NJ

$152 5.4% 17.6% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

West Caldwell, NJ

$70 2.5% 19.1% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

West Caldwell, NJ

$20 * 0.7% 66.3% $38

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 $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 76% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $451, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 West Caldwell, NJ

🕒 Local time

23:36 11:36 PM

00:36 12:36 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,797

💱 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 West Caldwell, NJ 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
West Caldwell, NJ

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 West Caldwell, NJ: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in West Caldwell, NJ. 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 76% 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 $1,626 in West Caldwell, NJ. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,198 in West Caldwell, NJ. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $79.0 in West Caldwell, NJ. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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 West Caldwell, NJ 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in West Caldwell, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.