Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and West Hartford, CT

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $3,423 in West Hartford, CT, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 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
164

Cost of Living Index in West Hartford, CT
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West Hartford, CT Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

West Hartford, CT

🇺🇸 United States

$3,423

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in West Hartford, 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 West Hartford, CT actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $3,423 in West Hartford, CT.

Austin, TX $2,689
West Hartford, CT $3,423

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,988 in West Hartford, CT.

Austin, TX $4,112
West Hartford, CT $4,988

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $6,552 in West Hartford, CT.

Austin, TX $5,534
West Hartford, CT $6,552

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in West Hartford, CT, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, West Hartford, CT 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$25.41 $25.41

-16.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$98.3 $98.3

-10.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.75 $12.75

-2.43%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.36 $5.36

4.48%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.04 $3.04

20.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.97 $1.97

21.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.16 $7.16

9.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$8.73 $8.73

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.58 $1.58

-29.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.76 $3.76

-3.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$6.86 $6.86

-48.98%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.14 $5.14

-13.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$17.76 $17.76

-25.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$15.92 $15.92

-12.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$17.38 $17.38

-5.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.98 $4.98

-5.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.74 $1.74

-13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$5.37 $5.37

-13.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.84 $4.84

-6.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.21 $3.21

-20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.55 $3.55

-32.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.23 $2.23

-17.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.95 $1.95

9.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$13.50 $13.50

-25.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.17 $16.17

-7.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.00 $2.00

41.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.92 $3.92

-16.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.74 $1.74

-29.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$60.9 $60.9

-31.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.94 $4.94

-45.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.43 $1.43

13.99%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$30.38 $30.38

15.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.12 $1.12

-12.50%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$28.0K $28.0K

22.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.35%

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

$252 $252

$211 $211

19.68%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$70.0 $70.0

-14.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$90.6 $90.6

-23.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$28.22 $28.22

113.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$18.34 $18.34

-1.09%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.88 $14.88

-7.59%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,488 $1,488

-2.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$28.2K $28.2K

-5.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$54.7 $54.7

-3.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$39.42 $39.42

16.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$101 $101

-15.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$109 $109

-2.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,423 $2,423

-9.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,932 $1,932

-34.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$4,042 $4,042

-1.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$3,173 $3,173

-24.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,619 $2,619

181.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,503 $2,503

18.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$6,142 $6,142

-17.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.59

3.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for West Hartford, CT: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

West Hartford, CT

$1.9K 56.4% 52.2% $663

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

West Hartford, CT

$467 13.6% 14.5% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

West Hartford, CT

$371 10.9% 2.7% $10

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

West Hartford, CT

$379 11.1% 6.5% $23

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

West Hartford, CT

$137 4% 5% $6.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

West Hartford, CT

$58 1.7% 34% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

West Hartford, CT

$80 2.3% 39.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $2,423 in West Hartford, CT. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Hartford, CT pays 22% 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 $98 in West Hartford, CT for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $467 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 West Hartford, CT

🕒 Local time

06:11 6:11 AM

07:11 7:11 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

64,083

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX West Hartford, CT 2,570 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
West Hartford, 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 West Hartford, CT: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in West Hartford, CT. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $2,423 in West Hartford, CT. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,423 in West Hartford, CT – Austin, TX is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in West Hartford, CT. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in West Hartford, CT. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.