Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Baton Rouge, LA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Baton Rouge, LA: $2,405 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in Baton Rouge, LA
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Baton Rouge, LA Living Index
130

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

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Baton Rouge, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,405

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Baton Rouge, LA 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 Baton Rouge, LA and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,405 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Baton Rouge, LA $2,405
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,516 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Baton Rouge, LA $3,516
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,627 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Baton Rouge, LA $4,627
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Baton Rouge, LA costs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Baton Rouge, LA 78% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.27 $15.27

$20.77 $20.77

-26.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.1 $82.1

$84.6 $84.6

-2.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.79 $11.79

$12.32 $12.32

-4.30%

Cappuccino

$5.99 $5.99

$5.63 $5.63

6.39%

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

$2.12 $2.12

$3.72 $3.72

-43.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 $1.37

$2.50 $2.50

-45.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 $5.65

$8.05 $8.05

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.62 $7.62

$9.01 $9.01

-15.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.12 $1.12

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.75 $3.75

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$3.26 $3.26

-29.75%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$4.17 $4.17

-28.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.93 $12.93

$12.90 $12.90

0.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.39 $14.39

$14.16 $14.16

1.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.53 $23.53

$16.22 $16.22

45.07%

Apples (1kg)

$7.07 $7.07

$4.33 $4.33

63.28%

Banana (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.46 $1.46

99.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.51 $4.51

36.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.58 $2.58

41.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.35 $2.35

15.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.78 $1.78

29.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.22 $2.22

-22.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.61 $8.61

$9.88 $9.88

-12.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$18.69 $18.69

$15.08 $15.08

23.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.92 $2.92

-34.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.46 $3.46

-41.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.49 $1.49

19.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$57.1 $57.1

$41.72 $41.72

36.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.73 $2.73

49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.66 $1.66

-27.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.5 $59.5

$35.30 $35.30

68.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.95 $0.95

-3.16%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.86%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.38%

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

$138 $138

$229 $229

-39.90%

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

$43.97 $43.97

$59.4 $59.4

-25.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$69.9 $69.9

-0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$52.9 $52.9

$57.2 $57.2

-7.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.85 $9.85

$16.33 $16.33

-39.68%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$14.28 $14.28

-15.13%

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

$1,932 $1,932

$1,506 $1,506

28.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-52.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.70 $33.70

$52.8 $52.8

-36.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.61 $42.61

$43.82 $43.82

-2.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$84.8 $84.8

4.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.9 $70.9

$103 $103

-31.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,358 $1,358

$1,907 $1,907

-28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,168 $1,168

$1,274 $1,274

-8.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,862 $1,862

$3,664 $3,664

-49.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,767 $1,767

$2,538 $2,538

-30.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,744 $1,744

$7,614 $7,614

-77.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,717 $1,717

$3,157 $3,157

-45.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,171 $3,171

$5,121 $5,121

-38.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

6.79

-6.92%

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

Last update for Baton Rouge, LA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Baton Rouge, LA

$1.2K 48.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 9.1% $106

Groceries & Markets

Baton Rouge, LA

$441 18.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8.3% $37

Eating Out

Baton Rouge, LA

$287 11.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 23.4% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Baton Rouge, LA

$251 10.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 42.6% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Baton Rouge, LA

$106 4.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 20.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Baton Rouge, LA

$77 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 11.3% $8.7

Getting Around

Baton Rouge, LA

$74 3.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 21% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,358 in Baton Rouge, LA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 62% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $82.0 in Baton Rouge, LA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Baton Rouge, LA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:08 9:08 AM

Same time as Baton Rouge, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

229,493

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Baton Rouge, LA Austin, TX 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Baton Rouge, LA
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

Baton Rouge, LA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Baton Rouge, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Baton Rouge, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 62% 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: $1,358 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,405 per month in Baton Rouge, LA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 11% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Baton Rouge, LA runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,405 in Baton Rouge, LA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Baton Rouge, LA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Baton Rouge, LA 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.

Expats usually find Baton Rouge, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.