Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carbondale, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Carbondale, IL: $1,759 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

85

Cost of Living Index in Carbondale, IL
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Carbondale, IL Living Index
129

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

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Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,759

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,759 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Carbondale, IL $1,759
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,131 in Carbondale, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Carbondale, IL $2,131
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,503 in Carbondale, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Carbondale, IL $2,503
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Carbondale, IL costs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Carbondale, IL 30% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.85 $17.85

$20.63 $20.63

-13.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.28 $38.28

$84.6 $84.6

-54.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.16 $9.16

$12.07 $12.07

-24.11%

Cappuccino

$5.12 $5.12

$5.48 $5.48

-6.57%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$3.80 $3.80

-39.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.47 $2.47

-21.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.59 $4.59

$8.05 $8.05

-42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.88 $8.88

-7.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.11 $1.11

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.72 $3.72

-16.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$3.37 $3.37

22.26%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.32 $4.32

-14.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$13.13 $13.13

1.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.47 $11.47

$14.15 $14.15

-18.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.80 $18.80

$16.33 $16.33

15.13%

Apples (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$4.55 $4.55

23.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.46 $1.46

23.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.71 $4.71

25.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.15 $4.15

18.31%

Potato (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.58 $2.58

-37.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.35 $2.35

2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.77 $1.77

49.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.14 $2.14

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.04 $9.04

$10.10 $10.10

-10.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.19 $15.19

-13.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.82 $2.82

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.44 $3.44

-53.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.80 $2.80

-27.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.60 $1.60

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.64 $19.64

$34.34 $34.34

-42.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.94 $0.94

9.57%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.02%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.95%

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

$185 $185

$223 $223

-16.77%

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

$85.5 $85.5

$58.9 $58.9

45.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.6 $75.6

$70.6 $70.6

7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$14.26 $14.26

-16.41%

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

$1,702 $1,702

$1,511 $1,511

12.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.5K $24.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

17.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.99 $46.99

$51.3 $51.3

-8.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.23 $33.23

$44.17 $44.17

-24.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 $83.1

$87.0 $87.0

-4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$150 $150

$104 $104

44.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$656 $656

$1,940 $1,940

-66.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$554 $554

$1,316 $1,316

-57.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$994 $994

$7,354 $7,354

-86.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,003 $1,003

$3,129 $3,129

-67.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,801 $3,801

$5,286 $5,286

-28.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.79

-2.80%

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

Last update for Carbondale, IL: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carbondale, IL

$554 31.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 138% $762

Groceries & Markets

Carbondale, IL

$396 22.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 2.5% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carbondale, IL

$346 19.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1.7% $5.8

Eating Out

Carbondale, IL

$288 16.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 21.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Carbondale, IL

$141 8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 8.6% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Carbondale, IL

$24 * 1.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 262% $62

Getting Around

Carbondale, IL

$9 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 545% $49

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 $656 in Carbondale, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 39% 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: $38.00 in Carbondale, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $396 vs $406 per month, with Carbondale, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Carbondale, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

Same time as Carbondale, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,881

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Carbondale, IL Austin, TX 1,140 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Carbondale, IL
Austin, TX

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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

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

Carbondale, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carbondale, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $656 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,702 in Carbondale, IL versus $1,511 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 Carbondale, IL – a meal for two runs $38.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,759 in Carbondale, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Carbondale, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Carbondale, IL 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 Carbondale, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.