Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and West Palm Beach, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in West Palm Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
155

Cost of Living Index in West Palm Beach, FL
Learn more

West Palm Beach, FL Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

West Palm Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,217

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in West Palm Beach, FL

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 Palm Beach, FL actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
West Palm Beach, FL $3,217

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,825 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
West Palm Beach, FL $4,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,433 in West Palm Beach, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
West Palm Beach, FL $6,433

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 19% less than in West Palm Beach, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, West Palm Beach, FL 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$21.09 $21.09

-3.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$81.1 $81.1

4.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.97 $11.97

1.25%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.40 $5.40

4.63%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.45 $2.45

50.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.84 $1.84

28.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.82 $5.82

35.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.15 $8.15

8.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.06 $1.06

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.08 $3.08

19.81%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.36 $3.36

-1.49%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.56 $3.56

16.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.21 $12.21

6.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.08 $11.08

25.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.16 $18.16

-10.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.78 $4.78

-1.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.72 $1.72

-15.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.94 $2.94

73.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.70 $4.70

-3.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.12 $3.12

-1.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.33 $3.33

-28.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.60 $2.60

-30.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.41 $2.41

-7.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.53 $9.53

4.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.87 $12.87

16.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.72 $3.72

-10.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.04 $2.04

-40.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$68.8 $68.8

-41.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.94 $2.94

-5.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.85 $1.85

-10.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$34.88 $34.88

1.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 $1.00

-5.00%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$28.1K $28.1K

21.84%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.87%

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

$223 $223

$201 $201

10.70%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$63.9 $63.9

-8.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$76.2 $76.2

-6.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$41.67 $41.67

27.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$24.98 $24.98

-32.95%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.10 $10.10

39.21%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,488 $1,488

-1.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.4K $21.4K

-0.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$63.9 $63.9

-17.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$40.88 $40.88

4.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$95.0 $95.0

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$110 $110

-5.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,624 $2,624

-19.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,870 $1,870

-34.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$5,348 $5,348

-27.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,427 $3,427

-29.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,343 $5,343

38.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,324 $3,324

-7.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,976 $3,976

30.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.56

3.96%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for West Palm Beach, FL: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

West Palm Beach, FL

$1.9K 58.2% 52% $640

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

West Palm Beach, FL

$382 11.9% 6.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

West Palm Beach, FL

$342 10.6% 3.1% $11

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

West Palm Beach, FL

$332 10.3% 4.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

West Palm Beach, FL

$140 4.3% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

West Palm Beach, FL

$62 1.9% 23.8% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

West Palm Beach, FL

$89 2.8% 57.9% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,624 in West Palm Beach, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $81 in West Palm Beach, FL for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $382 per month, with West Palm Beach, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 West Palm Beach, FL

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

21:22 9:22 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

117,415

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX West Palm Beach, FL 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
West Palm Beach, FL

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 Palm Beach, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in West Palm Beach, FL. 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 30% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,624 in West Palm Beach, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,217 in West Palm Beach, FL – Austin, TX is about 19% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 41% less than in West Palm Beach, FL. 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.