Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bridgewater, NJ and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

176

Cost of Living Index in Bridgewater, NJ
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Bridgewater, NJ Living Index
125

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

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Bridgewater, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,677

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,677 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Bridgewater, NJ $3,677
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,197 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Bridgewater, NJ $5,197
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,717 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Bridgewater, NJ $6,717
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Bridgewater, NJ is roughly 41% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Bridgewater, NJ 170% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.71 $18.71

$20.35 $20.35

-8.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$84.7 $84.7

-7.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 $12.82

$12.12 $12.12

5.78%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$5.65 $5.65

-6.73%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$3.68 $3.68

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.36 $2.36

-35.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$7.87 $7.87

-25.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.82 $8.82

-11.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.14 $1.14

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.69 $3.69

20.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.31 $3.31

-6.34%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.15 $4.15

24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.14 $10.14

$12.98 $12.98

-21.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.41 $10.41

$13.86 $13.86

-24.89%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.32 $17.32

$16.34 $16.34

6.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.69 $4.69

31.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.45 $1.45

2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$5.11 $5.11

-17.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.52 $4.52

-25.44%

Potato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.08 $3.08

-1.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.38 $2.38

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.80 $1.80

8.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.22 $2.22

39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.79 $14.79

$9.97 $9.97

48.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.17 $12.17

$15.05 $15.05

-19.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.91 $2.91

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.33 $3.33

10.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$40.53 $40.53

196.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.78 $2.78

9.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.65 $1.65

28.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.36 $42.36

$35.39 $35.39

19.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$24.0K $24.0K

$34.2K $34.2K

-29.75%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.15%

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

$174 $174

$223 $223

-21.87%

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

$49.85 $49.85

$58.5 $58.5

-14.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.30 $49.30

$71.2 $71.2

-30.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$53.0 $53.0

91.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.11 $49.11

$16.75 $16.75

193.19%

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.06 $14.06

26.60%

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

$2,031 $2,031

$1,459 $1,459

39.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

-23.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.45 $49.45

$52.5 $52.5

-5.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$62.2 $62.2

$42.75 $42.75

45.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$86.4 $86.4

-0.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$104 $104

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,308 $2,308

$2,112 $2,112

9.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,282 $2,282

$1,230 $1,230

85.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,808 $3,808

$3,863 $3,863

-1.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,551 $3,551

$2,407 $2,407

47.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,504 $6,504

$5,179 $5,179

25.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.82

-1.76%

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

Last update for Bridgewater, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bridgewater, NJ

$2.3K 62.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 46.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Bridgewater, NJ

$399 10.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

Bridgewater, NJ

$313 8.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 11.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bridgewater, NJ

$273 7.4%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 29% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Bridgewater, NJ

$139 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 7.4% $10

Sport & Entertainment

Bridgewater, NJ

$137 3.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 40.9% $56

Getting Around

Bridgewater, NJ

$134 * 3.6%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 57.8% $77

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 $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Bridgewater, NJ pays 26% 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: $79 in Bridgewater, NJ vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $399 vs $410 per month, with Bridgewater, NJ cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Bridgewater, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

21:51 9:51 PM

1 h behind Bridgewater, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,633

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Bridgewater, NJ Austin, TX 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Bridgewater, NJ
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Bridgewater, NJ. 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 26% higher in Bridgewater, NJ, 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: $2,308 in Bridgewater, NJ versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,677 per month in Bridgewater, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 29% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 66% less than in Bridgewater, NJ. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Bridgewater, NJ on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.