Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Boston and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Boston: $2,372 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Boston
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Boston Living Index
130

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

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Boston

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,372

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,372 in Boston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Boston $2,372
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,454 in Boston versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Boston $3,454
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,535 in Boston versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Boston $4,535
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Boston costs roughly 11% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Boston 76% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.64 £19.99

$20.77 $20.77

28.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.9 £58.5

$84.6 $84.6

-7.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.52 £7.89

$12.32 $12.32

-14.61%

Cappuccino

$4.90 £3.67

$5.63 $5.63

-12.97%

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

$2.46 £1.85

$3.72 $3.72

-33.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 £1.55

$2.50 $2.50

-17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 £4.28

$8.05 $8.05

-29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.52 £4.14

$9.01 $9.01

-38.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.52 £1.14

$1.12 $1.12

35.71%

White Bread (500g)

$0.58 £0.44

$3.75 $3.75

-84.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.64 £1.23

$3.26 $3.26

-49.69%

Eggs

$4.10 £3.08

$4.17 $4.17

-1.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 £7.05

$12.90 $12.90

-27.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.09 £6.07

$14.16 $14.16

-42.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.71 £12.53

$16.22 $16.22

3.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.27 £2.45

$4.33 $4.33

-24.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 £1.20

$1.46 $1.46

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.02 £2.26

$4.51 $4.51

-33.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 £2.65

$4.34 $4.34

-18.66%

Potato (1kg)

$1.20 £0.90

$2.58 $2.58

-53.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 £1.30

$2.35 $2.35

-25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.29 £0.97

$1.78 $1.78

-27.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 £0.94

$2.22 $2.22

-43.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$15.76 £11.82

$9.88 $9.88

59.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.76 £6.57

$15.08 $15.08

-41.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.30 £2.47

$2.92 $2.92

13.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 £2.28

$3.46 $3.46

-12.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 £2.64

$1.49 $1.49

136.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.1 £71.3

$41.72 $41.72

127.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.14 £3.10

$2.73 $2.73

51.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.89 £2.92

$1.66 $1.66

134.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.35 £24.27

$35.30 $35.30

-8.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.84 £1.38

$0.95 $0.95

93.68%

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

$37.5K £28.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.95%

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

$40.5K £30.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

49.42%

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

$359 £269

$229 $229

56.72%

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

$17.73 £13.30

$59.4 $59.4

-70.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$43.87 £32.91

$69.9 $69.9

-37.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.02 £33.78

$57.2 $57.2

-21.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$9.92 £7.45

$14.28 $14.28

-30.53%

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

$1,570 £1,177

$1,506 $1,506

4.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.5K £16.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

4.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.3 £40.01

$52.8 $52.8

0.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.15 £29.37

$43.82 $43.82

-10.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 £54.7

$84.8 $84.8

-14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.0 £44.23

$103 $103

-42.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,242 £932

$1,907 $1,907

-34.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,006 £755

$1,274 $1,274

-21.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 £1,602

$3,664 $3,664

-41.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 £1,255

$2,538 $2,538

-34.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,998 £3,749

$7,614 $7,614

-34.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,825 £2,870

$3,157 $3,157

21.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,566 £1,175

$5,121 $5,121

-69.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

6.79

-23.27%

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

Last update for Boston: October 12, 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

$1K 42.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 26.6% $268

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Boston

$420 17.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 14.8% $62

Eating Out

Boston

$361 15.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 2% $7.2

Groceries & Markets

Boston

$286 12%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 41.6% $119

Getting Around

Boston

$133 5.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 55.8% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Boston

$101 4.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Boston

$65 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 32.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,242 in Boston and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 227% 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 Boston vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $286 vs $405 per month, with Boston cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Boston

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:54 6:54 AM

00:54 12:54 AM

6 h behind Boston

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,339

974,447

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Boston Austin, TX 7,850 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Boston wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Boston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 227% 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: $1,242 in Boston 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 $2,372 per month in Boston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Boston runs roughly 128% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,372 in Boston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boston but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Boston 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, Boston 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 Boston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.