Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and West Plains, MO

For one person, living is cheaper in West Plains, MO: $2,444 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in West Plains, MO
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West Plains, MO Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,444

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in West Plains, MO

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 Plains, MO actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,444 in West Plains, MO.

Austin, TX $2,698
West Plains, MO $2,444

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,577 in West Plains, MO.

Austin, TX $4,160
West Plains, MO $3,577

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,710 in West Plains, MO.

Austin, TX $5,622
West Plains, MO $4,710

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in West Plains, MO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, West Plains, MO 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$16.86 $16.86

22.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.9 $75.9

11.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.91 $10.91

10.63%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.14 $5.14

6.61%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.97 $2.97

27.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.34 $2.34

5.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.44 $5.44

47.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.52 $6.52

36.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.09 $1.09

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.73 $2.73

36.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.69 $2.69

25.28%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.51 $3.51

23.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.12 $10.12

29.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.08 $12.08

17.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.83 $22.83

-28.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.88 $4.88

-6.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.41 $1.41

3.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.47 $4.47

5.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.74 $3.74

10.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.74 $2.74

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.50 $2.50

-6.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.98 $1.98

-10.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.90 $1.90

12.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.38 $9.38

7.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.62 $13.62

11.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.74 $1.74

62.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.73 $1.73

98.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.16 $2.16

-28.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.54 $2.54

10.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.48 $1.48

8.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$24.44 $24.44

40.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.92 $0.92

2.17%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

22.65%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.56%

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

$223 $223

$218 $218

2.22%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$60.1 $60.1

-1.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.7 $68.7

2.83%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$45.73 $45.73

26.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$13.09 $13.09

8.94%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,049 $1,049

43.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$19.1K $19.1K

9.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$51.1 $51.1

0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.46 $39.46

11.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$83.5 $83.5

4.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$148 $148

-29.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,592 $1,592

21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,196 $1,196

10.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,814 $2,814

30.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,961 $1,961

30.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,467 $2,467

198.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,124 $2,124

47.32%

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 Plains, MO: 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 Plains, MO

$1.2K 48.9% 9.1% $120

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

West Plains, MO

$375 15.3% 7.6% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

West Plains, MO

$347 14.2% 1.6% $5.6

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

West Plains, MO

$291 11.9% 16.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

West Plains, MO

$145 5.9% 12.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

West Plains, MO

$72 2.9% 16.6% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

West Plains, MO

$19 * 0.8% 67.9% $39

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 $1,592 in West Plains, MO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $76.0 in West Plains, MO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $375 per month, with West Plains, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 West Plains, MO

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

12,184

💱 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 Plains, MO 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
West Plains, MO

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 Plains, MO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Plains, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making West Plains, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,667 in West Plains, MO 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 $1,592 in West Plains, MO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,049 in West Plains, MO. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in West Plains, MO – 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 Plains, MO 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 Plains, MO 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 West Plains, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.