Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barrington, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Barrington, IL and in Austin, TX: $2,677 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

133

Cost of Living Index in Barrington, IL
Learn more

Barrington, IL Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,677

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Barrington, IL and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barrington, IL and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,677 in Barrington, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Barrington, IL $2,677
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,008 in Barrington, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Barrington, IL $4,008
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,339 in Barrington, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Barrington, IL $5,339
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Barrington, IL costs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Barrington, IL 98% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$20.63 $20.63

-2.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$84.6 $84.6

-11.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.36 $11.36

$12.07 $12.07

-5.88%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.48 $5.48

-4.38%

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

$2.60 $2.60

$3.80 $3.80

-31.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.47 $2.47

-17.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.99 $5.99

$8.05 $8.05

-25.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.14 $7.14

$8.88 $8.88

-19.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.11 $1.11

4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.72 $3.72

1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.37 $3.37

28.49%

Eggs

$4.27 $4.27

$4.32 $4.32

-1.16%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.24 $15.24

$13.13 $13.13

16.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$14.15 $14.15

-21.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.23 $17.23

$16.33 $16.33

5.51%

Apples (1kg)

$5.76 $5.76

$4.55 $4.55

26.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.46 $1.46

35.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.71 $4.71

-2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.15 $4.15

62.41%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.58 $2.58

6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.35 $2.35

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.77 $1.77

37.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.14 $2.14

6.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.15 $10.15

$10.10 $10.10

0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.22 $17.22

$15.19 $15.19

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.82 $2.82

-33.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.44 $3.44

-0.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.54 $1.54

27.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$117 $117

$40.99 $40.99

184.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.80 $2.80

22.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.60 $1.60

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.06 $33.06

$34.34 $34.34

-3.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.94 $0.94

24.47%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.28%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.84%

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

$230 $230

$223 $223

3.43%

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

$48.44 $48.44

$58.9 $58.9

-17.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.0 $59.0

$70.6 $70.6

-16.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$67.2 $67.2

$57.7 $57.7

16.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.27 $15.27

$16.53 $16.53

-7.62%

Cinema Ticket

$14.61 $14.61

$14.26 $14.26

2.45%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$1,511 $1,511

-1.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.6K $27.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

31.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$51.3 $51.3

2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.21 $41.21

$44.17 $44.17

-6.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.8 $89.8

$87.0 $87.0

3.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 $112

$104 $104

7.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,604 $1,604

$1,940 $1,940

-17.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 $1,222

$1,316 $1,316

-7.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,526 $2,526

$3,664 $3,664

-31.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,167 $2,167

$2,565 $2,565

-15.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,376 $2,376

$7,354 $7,354

-67.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,187 $2,187

$3,129 $3,129

-30.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,760 $5,760

$5,286 $5,286

8.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Barrington, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Barrington, IL

$1.2K 45.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 7.7% $94

Groceries & Markets

Barrington, IL

$430 16.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 5.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Barrington, IL

$338 12.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 4.3% $14

Eating Out

Barrington, IL

$322 12%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 8.9% $29

Getting Around

Barrington, IL

$136 5.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 57.3% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Barrington, IL

$133 5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 3.1% $4.1

Sport & Entertainment

Barrington, IL

$96 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 10.6% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,604 in Barrington, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Barrington, IL pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Barrington, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Barrington, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Barrington, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,772

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Barrington, IL Austin, TX 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Barrington, IL
Austin, TX

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

Barrington, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barrington, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barrington, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 9% higher in Barrington, IL, 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: $1,604 in Barrington, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,677 per month in Barrington, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barrington, IL runs roughly 184% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Barrington, IL 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, Barrington, IL and Austin, TX 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 Barrington, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.