Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Bloomington, IL: $2,258 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Bloomington, IL
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Bloomington, IL Living Index
129

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

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Bloomington, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,258

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,258 in Bloomington, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Bloomington, IL $2,258
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,264 in Bloomington, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Bloomington, IL $3,264
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,270 in Bloomington, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Bloomington, IL $4,270
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Bloomington, IL costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bloomington, IL 67% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.84 $17.84

$20.63 $20.63

-13.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$84.6 $84.6

-7.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$12.07 $12.07

-0.75%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.48 $5.48

-4.38%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.80 $3.80

-36.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.47 $2.47

-31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.65 $5.65

$8.05 $8.05

-29.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.18 $7.18

$8.88 $8.88

-19.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.11 $1.11

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.32 $2.32

$3.72 $3.72

-37.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$3.37 $3.37

25.82%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.32 $4.32

-14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.39 $13.39

$13.13 $13.13

1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.76 $7.76

$14.15 $14.15

-45.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.30 $17.30

$16.33 $16.33

5.94%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 $3.55

$4.55 $4.55

-21.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.46 $1.46

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.71 $4.71

17.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.15 $4.15

-16.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.58 $2.58

31.78%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.35 $2.35

13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 $2.71

$1.77 $1.77

53.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.14 $2.14

31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.80 $7.80

$10.10 $10.10

-22.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.19 $15.19

-0.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.82 $2.82

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.44 $3.44

-6.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.54 $1.54

-20.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.70 $40.70

$40.99 $40.99

-0.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.80 $2.80

21.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.60 $1.60

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.78 $40.78

$34.34 $34.34

18.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.78%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.08%

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

$196 $196

$223 $223

-11.93%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.9 $58.9

17.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.1 $76.1

$70.6 $70.6

7.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.8 $59.8

$57.7 $57.7

3.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.13 $10.13

$14.26 $14.26

-28.96%

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

$1,426 $1,426

$1,511 $1,511

-5.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

13.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 $58.9

$51.3 $51.3

14.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 $40.53

$44.17 $44.17

-8.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$87.0 $87.0

-0.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

15.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,275 $1,275

$1,940 $1,940

-34.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$970 $970

$1,316 $1,316

-26.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,784 $1,784

$3,664 $3,664

-51.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,439 $1,439

$2,565 $2,565

-43.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,485 $1,485

$7,354 $7,354

-79.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$3,129 $3,129

-58.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,544 $4,544

$5,286 $5,286

-14.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.79

-1.03%

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

Last update for Bloomington, 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

Bloomington, IL

$970 43%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 35.6% $346

Groceries & Markets

Bloomington, IL

$370 16.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 9.7% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bloomington, IL

$342 15.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 3.1% $10

Eating Out

Bloomington, IL

$301 13.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 16.5% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Bloomington, IL

$138 6.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 6.5% $9

Sport & Entertainment

Bloomington, IL

$80 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 7.7% $6.2

Getting Around

Bloomington, IL

$57 2.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 1.9% $1.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,275 in Bloomington, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 16% 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: $78.0 in Bloomington, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $406 per month, with Bloomington, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bloomington, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:50 8:50 PM

Same time as Bloomington, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,247

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Bloomington, IL Austin, TX 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Bloomington, 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

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

Bloomington, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bloomington, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $1,275 in Bloomington, 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 $2,258 per month in Bloomington, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bloomington, IL runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,258 in Bloomington, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bloomington, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bloomington, IL 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.

Safety-wise, Bloomington, 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 Bloomington, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.