Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bethlehem, PA and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Bethlehem, PA and in Austin, TX: $2,613 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Bethlehem, PA
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Bethlehem, PA Living Index
125

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

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Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,613

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,613 in Bethlehem, PA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Bethlehem, PA $2,613
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,666 in Bethlehem, PA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Bethlehem, PA $3,666
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,718 in Bethlehem, PA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Bethlehem, PA $4,718
Austin, TX $5,454

Monthly costs are close between Bethlehem, PA and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bethlehem, PA 92% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.20 $18.20

$20.35 $20.35

-10.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.94 $49.94

$84.7 $84.7

-41.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.05 $13.05

$12.12 $12.12

7.67%

Cappuccino

$5.05 $5.05

$5.65 $5.65

-10.62%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$3.68 $3.68

-20.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.36 $2.36

-19.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.21 $5.21

$7.87 $7.87

-33.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$8.82 $8.82

-6.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.14 $1.14

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.69 $3.69

10.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$3.31 $3.31

18.43%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.15 $4.15

3.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.02 $12.02

$12.98 $12.98

-7.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.27 $16.27

$13.86 $13.86

17.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.33 $18.33

$16.34 $16.34

12.18%

Apples (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.69 $4.69

30.92%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.45 $1.45

-8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.11 $5.11

-17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.52 $4.52

-7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$3.08 $3.08

-30.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.38 $2.38

10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.80 $1.80

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.22 $2.22

-14.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.78 $9.78

$9.97 $9.97

-1.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.99 $17.99

$15.05 $15.05

19.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.91 $2.91

-40.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.82 $6.82

$3.33 $3.33

104.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.04 $5.04

$2.78 $2.78

81.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.96 $2.96

$1.65 $1.65

79.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.65 $34.65

$35.39 $35.39

-2.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.95 $0.95

3.16%

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

$23.2K $23.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-32.20%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-10.42%

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

$207 $207

$223 $223

-7.00%

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

$39.06 $39.06

$58.5 $58.5

-33.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$71.2 $71.2

11.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.66 $36.66

$53.0 $53.0

-30.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.83 $14.83

$14.06 $14.06

5.48%

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

$985 $985

$1,459 $1,459

-32.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$64.4K $64.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

201.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$52.5 $52.5

2.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.28 $30.28

$42.75 $42.75

-29.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.8 $65.8

$86.4 $86.4

-23.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$84.9 $84.9

$104 $104

-18.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,573 $1,573

$2,112 $2,112

-25.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$1,230 $1,230

9.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,184 $2,184

$3,863 $3,863

-43.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,079 $2,079

$2,407 $2,407

-13.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,187 $2,187

$7,426 $7,426

-70.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,119 $2,119

$3,060 $3,060

-30.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,649 $3,649

$5,179 $5,179

-29.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.82

-4.69%

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

Last update for Bethlehem, PA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bethlehem, PA

$1.4K 51.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 9% $121

Groceries & Markets

Bethlehem, PA

$437 16.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 6.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bethlehem, PA

$326 12.5%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 8.3% $27

Eating Out

Bethlehem, PA

$307 11.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 13.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Bethlehem, PA

$106 4.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 21.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Bethlehem, PA

$66 2.5%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 22.4% $15

Getting Around

Bethlehem, PA

$20 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 185% $37

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 $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 42% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $50 in Bethlehem, PA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $437 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bethlehem, PA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:14 12:14 AM

23:14 11:14 PM

1 h behind Bethlehem, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

75,624

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Bethlehem, PA Austin, TX 2,320 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bethlehem, PA
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

Bethlehem, PA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 30% lower in Bethlehem, PA. 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: $1,573 in Bethlehem, PA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 7% higher in Bethlehem, PA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Bethlehem, PA – a meal for two runs $50 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.