Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Wheeling, WV

For one person, living is cheaper in Wheeling, WV: $2,238 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
108

Cost of Living Index in Wheeling, WV
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Wheeling, WV Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Wheeling, WV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,238

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Wheeling, WV

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 Wheeling, WV actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,238 in Wheeling, WV.

Austin, TX $2,607
Wheeling, WV $2,238

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,354 in Wheeling, WV.

Austin, TX $4,031
Wheeling, WV $3,354

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,471 in Wheeling, WV.

Austin, TX $5,454
Wheeling, WV $4,471

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 16% more expensive than in Wheeling, WV, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Wheeling, WV 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$13.55 $13.55

50.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$65.9 $65.9

28.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$8.42 $8.42

43.94%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.15 $5.15

9.71%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.48 $2.48

48.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.88 $1.88

25.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$14.56 $14.56

-45.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.91 $9.91

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.31 $1.31

-12.98%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.49 $3.49

5.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$6.81 $6.81

-51.40%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.75 $5.75

-27.83%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$7.44 $7.44

74.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$16.19 $16.19

-14.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.92 $15.92

2.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.49 $7.49

-37.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.95 $1.95

-25.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$7.49 $7.49

-31.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.99 $5.99

-24.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.25 $5.25

-41.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.56 $4.56

-47.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.04 $2.04

-11.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.14 $2.14

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.12 $9.12

9.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.94 $14.94

0.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.71 $1.71

70.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.91 $0.91

4.40%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$25.4K $25.4K

34.52%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.3K $23.3K

14.71%

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

$223 $223

$160 $160

39.28%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$140 $140

-58.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$73.5 $73.5

-3.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$33.66 $33.66

57.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.80 $12.80

9.84%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,065 $1,065

36.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$18.8K $18.8K

13.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$46.64 $46.64

12.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$60.5 $60.5

-29.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$138 $138

-37.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$63.7 $63.7

62.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,152 $1,152

83.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$905 $905

35.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,265 $2,265

70.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,547 $1,547

55.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,677 $1,677

342.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,379 $1,379

121.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,854 $3,854

34.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.4

6.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Wheeling, WV: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Wheeling, WV

$905 40.4% 26.4% $325

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Wheeling, WV

$456 * 20.4% 11.2% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Wheeling, WV

$374 16.7% 6% $21

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Wheeling, WV

$305 13.7% 12.3% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Wheeling, WV

$139 6.2% 8.3% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Wheeling, WV

$59 2.7% 27% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Wheeling, WV

- * 0% 100%

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,152 in Wheeling, WV. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 34% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $66 in Wheeling, WV. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $456, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Wheeling, WV

🕒 Local time

23:21 11:21 PM

00:21 12:21 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

28,486

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Wheeling, WV 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Wheeling, WV

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 Wheeling, WV: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Wheeling, WV wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Wheeling, WV the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% 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 $1,152 in Wheeling, WV. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,065 in Wheeling, WV. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Wheeling, WV – a meal for two runs $66 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,238 in Wheeling, WV versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wheeling, WV but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Wheeling, WV the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Wheeling, WV wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.