Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Winston-Salem, NC

For one person, living is cheaper in Winston-Salem, NC: $2,428 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 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
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
117

Cost of Living Index in Winston-Salem, NC
Learn more

Winston-Salem, NC Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Winston-Salem, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,428

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Winston-Salem, NC

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 Winston-Salem, NC actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Austin, TX $2,607
Winston-Salem, NC $2,428

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,722 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Austin, TX $4,031
Winston-Salem, NC $3,722

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,016 in Winston-Salem, NC.

Austin, TX $5,454
Winston-Salem, NC $5,016

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Winston-Salem, NC, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Winston-Salem, NC 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$22.94 $22.94

-11.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$79.2 $79.2

7.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.19 $10.19

18.94%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.36 $5.36

5.41%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.87 $2.87

28.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.95 $1.95

21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.14 $5.14

53.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.13 $6.13

43.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.45 $1.45

-21.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.75 $4.75

-22.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$9.80 $9.80

-66.22%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.46 $5.46

-23.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$18.33 $18.33

-29.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.95 $13.95

-0.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$26.68 $26.68

-38.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.78 $7.78

-39.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.11 $3.11

-53.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$7.03 $7.03

-27.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$7.42 $7.42

-39.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.91 $4.91

-37.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$6.04 $6.04

-60.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.76 $2.76

-34.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.54 $3.54

-37.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$8.95 $8.95

11.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.82 $14.82

1.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.61 $1.61

80.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.60 $4.60

-27.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.02 $1.02

19.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$29.70 $29.70

36.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$6.85 $6.85

-59.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.24 $2.24

-26.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$14.85 $14.85

138.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.7K $29.7K

15.20%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.27%

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

$223 $223

$176 $176

26.97%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$51.7 $51.7

13.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$62.9 $62.9

13.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$35.52 $35.52

49.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$15.77 $15.77

6.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.79 $11.79

19.25%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,279 $1,279

14.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$9,829 $9,829

117.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$38.64 $38.64

35.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$31.00 $31.00

37.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$84.4 $84.4

2.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$95.5 $95.5

8.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,501 $1,501

40.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,001 $1,001

22.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,667 $2,667

44.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,761 $1,761

36.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,103 $5,103

45.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,693 $2,693

13.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,714 $3,714

39.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Winston-Salem, NC: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Winston-Salem, NC

$1K 41.2% 18.6% $229

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Winston-Salem, NC

$578 23.8% 41% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Winston-Salem, NC

$290 12% 17.7% $62

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Winston-Salem, NC

$336 13.8% 3.6% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Winston-Salem, NC

$112 4.6% 12.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Winston-Salem, NC

$59 2.4% 27.2% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Winston-Salem, NC

$52 2.1% 8.2% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,501 in Winston-Salem, NC. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 39% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Winston-Salem, NC. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $578, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Winston-Salem, NC

🕒 Local time

03:50 3:50 AM

04:50 4:50 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

241,218

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Winston-Salem, NC 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Winston-Salem, NC

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 Winston-Salem, NC: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Winston-Salem, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Winston-Salem, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 39% 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 $1,501 in Winston-Salem, NC. 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 $2,428 in Winston-Salem, NC – Winston-Salem, NC is about 7% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Winston-Salem, NC runs roughly 27% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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

For families, Winston-Salem, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

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