Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Williston, ND

For one person, living is cheaper in Williston, ND: $2,269 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

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

Cost of Living Index in Williston, ND
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Williston, ND Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Williston, ND

🇺🇸 United States

$2,269

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Williston, ND

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 Williston, ND actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,269 in Williston, ND.

Austin, TX $2,689
Williston, ND $2,269

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,718 in Williston, ND.

Austin, TX $4,112
Williston, ND $3,718

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,166 in Williston, ND.

Austin, TX $5,534
Williston, ND $5,166

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 19% more expensive than in Williston, ND, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Williston, ND 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$20.07 $20.07

6.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$75.9 $75.9

15.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.36 $11.36

9.51%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.23 $5.23

7.07%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.75 $2.75

32.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.01 $2.01

18.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$5.39 $5.39

45.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.83 $6.83

28.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.96 $0.96

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.04 $2.04

77.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.10 $4.10

-14.63%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.12 $4.12

8.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$30.04 $30.04

-56.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$12.64 $12.64

10.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$13.94 $13.94

18.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.18 $5.18

-8.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.85 $1.85

-18.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.24 $4.24

9.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.70 $4.70

-3.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.86 $2.86

-10.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.96 $2.96

-19.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.11 $2.11

-12.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.20 $2.20

-3.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.15 $10.15

-0.99%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.37 $15.37

-3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.91 $1.91

47.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.72 $3.72

-11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.83 $1.83

-32.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$68.8 $68.8

-39.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.00 $3.00

-10.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.52 $1.52

7.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$32.58 $32.58

8.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.06 $1.06

-7.55%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$24.2K $24.2K

42.15%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

7.99%

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

$252 $252

$197 $197

27.87%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$58.7 $58.7

1.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$74.5 $74.5

-6.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$41.64 $41.64

44.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$13.64 $13.64

0.81%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,360 $1,360

7.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$20.1K $20.1K

32.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$53.5 $53.5

-1.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$40.89 $40.89

11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$95.6 $95.6

-10.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$103 $103

2.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$997 $997

120.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$901 $901

40.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,057 $2,057

94.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,154 $2,154

11.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,237 $2,237

229.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,273 $2,273

30.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$5,795 $5,795

-12.98%

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 Williston, ND: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Williston, ND

$901 39.7% 29% $367

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Williston, ND

$433 19.1% 6.2% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Williston, ND

$330 14.6% 13.4% $51

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Williston, ND

$317 14% 10.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Williston, ND

$132 5.8% 1.3% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Williston, ND

$69 3% 21.6% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Williston, ND

$87 3.8% 51.5% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $997 in Williston, ND. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Williston, ND pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $76 in Williston, ND. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $433, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Williston, ND

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

30,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Williston, ND 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Williston, ND

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 Williston, ND: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Williston, ND wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Williston, ND the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 13% 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 $997 in Williston, ND. 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 $2,269 in Williston, ND – Williston, ND is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 40% less than in Williston, ND. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Williston, ND gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.