Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Branson, MO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Branson, MO: $2,056 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Branson, MO
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Branson, MO Living Index
130

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

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Branson, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,056

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,056 in Branson, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Branson, MO $2,056
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,975 in Branson, MO versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Branson, MO $2,975
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,895 in Branson, MO versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Branson, MO $3,895
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Branson, MO costs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Branson, MO 52% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.17 $20.17

$20.77 $20.77

-2.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.0 $61.0

$84.6 $84.6

-27.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 $10.59

$12.32 $12.32

-14.04%

Cappuccino

$5.02 $5.02

$5.63 $5.63

-10.83%

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

$1.46 $1.46

$3.72 $3.72

-60.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

$2.50 $2.50

-61.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 $3.91

$8.05 $8.05

-51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.02 $5.02

$9.01 $9.01

-44.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.75 $3.75

-9.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.26 $3.26

-5.52%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.17 $4.17

-0.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.91 $7.91

$12.90 $12.90

-38.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.05 $9.05

$14.16 $14.16

-36.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 $13.72

$16.22 $16.22

-15.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.33 $4.33

1.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.46 $1.46

8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.51 $4.51

-49.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.70 $5.70

$4.34 $4.34

31.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.58 $2.58

-17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.35 $2.35

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.78 $1.78

-16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.22 $2.22

-7.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.84 $6.84

$9.88 $9.88

-30.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.06 $13.06

$15.08 $15.08

-13.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.92 $2.92

-30.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.46 $3.46

-13.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.49 $1.49

38.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.73 $2.73

-9.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.66 $1.66

-27.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 $60.6

$35.30 $35.30

71.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-2.55%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-10.04%

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

$106 $106

$229 $229

-53.57%

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

$64.9 $64.9

$59.4 $59.4

9.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.8 $71.8

$69.9 $69.9

2.76%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.22 $44.22

$57.2 $57.2

-22.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.88 $11.88

$16.33 $16.33

-27.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.92 $14.92

$14.28 $14.28

4.48%

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

$798 $798

$1,506 $1,506

-46.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-0.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$30.55 $30.55

$52.8 $52.8

-42.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.14 $43.14

$43.82 $43.82

-1.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.4 $74.4

$84.8 $84.8

-12.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$103 $103

43.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,056 $1,056

$1,907 $1,907

-44.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$958 $958

$1,274 $1,274

-24.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,664 $1,664

$3,664 $3,664

-54.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,414 $1,414

$2,538 $2,538

-44.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.79

-3.39%

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

Last update for Branson, MO: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Branson, MO

$958 46.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 32.9% $316

Groceries & Markets

Branson, MO

$338 16.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 19.9% $67

Eating Out

Branson, MO

$293 14.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 20.9% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Branson, MO

$243 11.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 47.4% $115

Clothing & Footwear

Branson, MO

$133 6.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.7% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Branson, MO

$74 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 15.8% $12

Getting Around

Branson, MO

$17 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 250% $42

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 $1,056 in Branson, MO and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Branson, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $405 per month, with Branson, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Branson, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:07 5:07 PM

Same time as Branson, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,746

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Branson, MO Austin, TX 820 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Branson, MO
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

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

Branson, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Branson, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,083 in Branson, MO and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,056 in Branson, MO versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $798 in Branson, MO versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Branson, MO – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,056 in Branson, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Branson, MO but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Branson, MO 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 Branson, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.