Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $4,661 in Cambridge, MA, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

223

Cost of Living Index in Cambridge, MA
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Cambridge, MA Living Index
125

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

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Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,661

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,661 in Cambridge, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Cambridge, MA $4,661
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,329 in Cambridge, MA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Cambridge, MA $6,329
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,997 in Cambridge, MA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Cambridge, MA $7,997
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Cambridge, MA is roughly 79% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cambridge, MA 242% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.72 $19.72

$20.35 $20.35

-3.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$84.7 $84.7

17.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.91 $11.91

$12.12 $12.12

-1.73%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.65 $5.65

-8.32%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.68 $3.68

-15.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.36 $2.36

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.97 $7.97

$7.87 $7.87

1.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.81 $7.81

$8.82 $8.82

-11.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.14 $1.14

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.69 $3.69

24.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.94 $6.94

$3.31 $3.31

109.67%

Eggs

$4.86 $4.86

$4.15 $4.15

17.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.87 $15.87

$12.98 $12.98

22.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.36 $14.36

$13.86 $13.86

3.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.52 $19.52

$16.34 $16.34

19.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$4.69 $4.69

37.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.45 $1.45

13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.13 $6.13

$5.11 $5.11

19.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.08 $7.08

$4.52 $4.52

56.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.08 $3.08

48.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.38 $2.38

52.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.90 $2.90

$1.80 $1.80

61.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.22 $2.22

13.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.97 $9.97

32.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.64 $15.64

$15.05 $15.05

3.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.91 $2.91

-32.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.33 $3.33

35.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.22 $1.22

102.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$90.8 $90.8

$40.53 $40.53

124.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.78 $2.78

-27.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.65 $1.65

-4.85%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.86 $10.86

$35.39 $35.39

-69.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.2K $34.2K

-18.44%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.16%

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

$227 $227

$223 $223

1.75%

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

$54.2 $54.2

$58.5 $58.5

-7.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.8 $78.8

$71.2 $71.2

10.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.5 $73.5

$53.0 $53.0

38.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.77 $29.77

$16.75 $16.75

77.73%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$14.06 $14.06

6.83%

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

$2,664 $2,664

$1,459 $1,459

82.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.3K $36.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

70.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$52.5 $52.5

42.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.6 $50.6

$42.75 $42.75

18.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$86.4 $86.4

19.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$104 $104

36.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 $3,759

$2,112 $2,112

78.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,090 $3,090

$1,230 $1,230

151.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,380 $5,380

$3,863 $3,863

39.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,441 $4,441

$2,407 $2,407

84.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,645 $7,645

$7,426 $7,426

2.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,058 $6,058

$3,060 $3,060

97.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,467 $6,467

$5,179 $5,179

24.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.82

-4.69%

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

Last update for Cambridge, MA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cambridge, MA

$3.1K 66.3%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 60.2% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

Cambridge, MA

$497 10.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 17.6% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cambridge, MA

$360 7.7%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 2% $7.2

Eating Out

Cambridge, MA

$333 7.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 4.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Cambridge, MA

$167 3.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 23% $38

Getting Around

Cambridge, MA

$111 2.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 48.9% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Cambridge, MA

$104 2.2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 21.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,759 in Cambridge, MA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cambridge, MA pays 25% 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: $100 in Cambridge, MA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $497 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cambridge, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:43 8:43 PM

19:43 7:43 PM

1 h behind Cambridge, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,162

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cambridge, MA Austin, TX 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Cambridge, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Cambridge, 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 25% higher in Cambridge, 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: $3,759 in Cambridge, MA 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 $4,661 per month in Cambridge, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 44% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 55% less than in Cambridge, MA. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Cambridge, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.