Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston, MA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,444 in Boston, MA, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

Cost of Living Index in Boston, MA
Learn more

Boston, MA Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Boston, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,444

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,444 in Boston, MA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Boston, MA $4,444
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,187 in Boston, MA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Boston, MA $6,187
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,930 in Boston, MA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Boston, MA $7,930
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Boston, MA is roughly 67% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boston, MA 229% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.22 $30.22

$20.77 $20.77

45.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$84.6 $84.6

40.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.76 $11.76

$12.32 $12.32

-4.55%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$5.63 $5.63

-7.28%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$3.72 $3.72

-15.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.50 $2.50

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.98 $7.98

$8.05 $8.05

-0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$9.01 $9.01

-0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.75 $3.75

18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.85 $6.85

$3.26 $3.26

110.12%

Eggs

$6.00 $6.00

$4.17 $4.17

43.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$12.90 $12.90

20.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.99 $14.99

$14.16 $14.16

5.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.60 $19.60

$16.22 $16.22

20.84%

Apples (1kg)

$7.47 $7.47

$4.33 $4.33

72.52%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.46 $1.46

39.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.51 $5.51

$4.51 $4.51

22.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.40 $7.40

$4.34 $4.34

70.51%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.58 $2.58

67.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$2.35 $2.35

75.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.78 $1.78

65.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.22 $2.22

32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.39 $12.39

$9.88 $9.88

25.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.97 $15.97

$15.08 $15.08

5.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.92 $2.92

4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.48 $5.48

$3.46 $3.46

58.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.49 $1.49

57.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.5 $89.5

$41.72 $41.72

114.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.73 $2.73

-5.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.66 $1.66

4.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.60 $27.60

$35.30 $35.30

-21.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.95 $0.95

18.95%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.70%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-2.68%

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

$243 $243

$229 $229

6.19%

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

$55.5 $55.5

$59.4 $59.4

-6.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$87.0 $87.0

$69.9 $69.9

24.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$86.1 $86.1

$57.2 $57.2

50.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.59 $41.59

$16.33 $16.33

154.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.86 $15.86

$14.28 $14.28

11.06%

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

$2,926 $2,926

$1,506 $1,506

94.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.5K $36.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

69.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.6 $74.6

$52.8 $52.8

41.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$43.82 $43.82

15.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 $115

$84.8 $84.8

35.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$163 $163

$103 $103

58.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,350 $3,350

$1,907 $1,907

75.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,706 $2,706

$1,274 $1,274

112.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,835 $5,835

$3,664 $3,664

59.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,927 $3,927

$2,538 $2,538

54.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.3K $13.3K

$7,614 $7,614

74.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,353 $6,353

$3,157 $3,157

101.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,998 $5,998

$5,121 $5,121

17.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.79

-1.91%

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

Last update for Boston, MA: 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

Boston, MA

$2.7K 60.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 52.9% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Boston, MA

$524 11.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 22.8% $119

Eating Out

Boston, MA

$419 9.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 15.6% $66

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boston, MA

$386 8.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 7.1% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Boston, MA

$182 4.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 29.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Boston, MA

$118 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 27.2% $32

Getting Around

Boston, MA

$110 2.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 46.7% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,350 in Boston, MA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Boston, MA pays 17% 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: $119 in Boston, MA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $524 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Boston, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:34 7:34 PM

18:34 6:34 PM

1 h behind Boston, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

675,647

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

Boston, MA Austin, TX 2,730 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Boston, MA
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

Boston, MA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Boston, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17% higher in Boston, MA, 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: $3,350 in Boston, MA 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 $4,444 per month in Boston, MA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 67% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 115% less than in Boston, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Boston, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.