Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and West Monroe, LA

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in West Monroe, LA: $2,698 and $2,628 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

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

Cost of Living Index in West Monroe, LA
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West Monroe, LA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

West Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in West Monroe, LA

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 Monroe, LA actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,628 in West Monroe, LA.

Austin, TX $2,698
West Monroe, LA $2,628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,851 in West Monroe, LA.

Austin, TX $4,160
West Monroe, LA $3,851

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,073 in West Monroe, LA.

Austin, TX $5,622
West Monroe, LA $5,073

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in West Monroe, LA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, West Monroe, LA 94% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.14 $17.14

20.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.9 $75.9

11.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.79 $10.79

11.86%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.11 $5.11

7.24%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.45 $2.45

55.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 $2.36

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.90 $4.90

64.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.18 $4.18

112.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.10 $1.10

0.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.78 $2.78

33.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.75 $2.75

22.55%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.55 $3.55

21.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.23 $10.23

28.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.84 $11.84

19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.61 $18.61

-12.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.75 $2.75

65.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.25 $3.25

44.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.33 $1.33

212.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.34 $1.34

75.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.92 $1.92

-7.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.91 $1.91

12.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$7.96 $7.96

26.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.53 $13.53

12.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.73 $1.73

63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.74 $1.74

97.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.02 $2.02

-23.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.43 $2.43

15.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.52 $1.52

5.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.27 $24.27

41.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.97 $0.97

-3.09%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.7K $26.7K

27.32%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.14%

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

$223 $223

$220 $220

1.17%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$60.4 $60.4

-2.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.3 $68.3

3.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$43.69 $43.69

32.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.94 $12.94

10.20%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,020 $1,020

48.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$19.1K $19.1K

9.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$50.9 $50.9

0.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.37 $38.37

15.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$83.3 $83.3

4.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$148 $148

-29.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,807 $1,807

7.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,433 $1,433

-8.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,372 $2,372

54.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,457 $2,457

4.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,560 $2,560

187.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,482 $2,482

26.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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 Monroe, LA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

West Monroe, LA

$1.4K 54.5% 8.9% $117

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

West Monroe, LA

$331 12.6% 18.5% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

West Monroe, LA

$349 13.3% 1% $3.4

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

West Monroe, LA

$283 10.8% 19.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

West Monroe, LA

$144 5.5% 11.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

West Monroe, LA

$70 2.7% 19.3% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

West Monroe, LA

$18 * 0.7% 68.7% $40

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 $1,807 in West Monroe, LA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $76.0 in West Monroe, LA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $331 per month, with West Monroe, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 West Monroe, LA

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,028

💱 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 West Monroe, LA 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
West Monroe, LA

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 Monroe, LA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Monroe, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making West Monroe, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,941 in West Monroe, LA 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 $1,807 in West Monroe, LA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,020 in West Monroe, LA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in West Monroe, LA – a meal for two runs $76.0 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. West Monroe, LA 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 West Monroe, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.