Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cary, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,842 in Cary, NC, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Cary, NC
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Cary, NC Living Index
130

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

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Cary, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,842

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,842 in Cary, NC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cary, NC $2,842
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,173 in Cary, NC versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cary, NC $4,173
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,505 in Cary, NC versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cary, NC $5,505
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cary, NC is roughly 7% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cary, NC 111% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.35 $19.35

$20.77 $20.77

-6.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.3 $99.3

$84.6 $84.6

17.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.42 $10.42

$12.32 $12.32

-15.42%

Cappuccino

$5.06 $5.06

$5.63 $5.63

-10.12%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$3.72 $3.72

-45.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.50 $2.50

-26.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.51 $4.51

$8.05 $8.05

-43.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.39 $6.39

$9.01 $9.01

-29.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.12 $1.12

-7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.51 $5.51

$3.75 $3.75

46.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$3.26 $3.26

89.57%

Eggs

$4.02 $4.02

$4.17 $4.17

-3.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.74 $17.74

$12.90 $12.90

37.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$14.16 $14.16

17.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.96 $17.96

$16.22 $16.22

10.73%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$4.33 $4.33

44.34%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.46 $1.46

32.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.51 $4.51

-16.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.90 $6.90

$4.34 $4.34

58.99%

Potato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.58 $2.58

25.97%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.35 $2.35

77.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.78 $1.78

66.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.22 $2.22

7.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$9.88 $9.88

1.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.71 $9.71

$15.08 $15.08

-35.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.92 $2.92

-20.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.04 $4.04

$3.46 $3.46

16.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.49 $1.49

69.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.7 $78.7

$41.72 $41.72

88.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.95 $0.95

-2.11%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$28.7K $28.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

5.87%

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

$179 $179

$229 $229

-21.89%

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

$47.18 $47.18

$59.4 $59.4

-20.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 $67.6

$69.9 $69.9

-3.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$77.8 $77.8

$57.2 $57.2

35.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.88 $21.88

$16.33 $16.33

33.99%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$14.28 $14.28

6.86%

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

$1,455 $1,455

$1,506 $1,506

-3.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$52.8 $52.8

24.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.18 $32.18

$43.82 $43.82

-26.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$119 $119

$84.8 $84.8

40.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$137 $137

$103 $103

33.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,904 $1,904

$1,907 $1,907

-0.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,407 $1,407

$1,274 $1,274

10.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,710 $2,710

$3,664 $3,664

-26.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,162 $2,162

$2,538 $2,538

-14.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,859 $2,859

$7,614 $7,614

-62.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,643 $2,643

$3,157 $3,157

-16.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,032 $6,032

$5,121 $5,121

17.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.42

6.79

-5.45%

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

Last update for Cary, NC: 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

Cary, NC

$1.4K 49.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 9.5% $133

Groceries & Markets

Cary, NC

$486 17.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 16.8% $82

Eating Out

Cary, NC

$298 10.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 18.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cary, NC

$294 10.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 22% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Cary, NC

$160 5.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 19.8% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Cary, NC

$108 3.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 20.8% $23

Getting Around

Cary, NC

$89 * 3.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 33.9% $30

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 $1,904 in Cary, NC and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Cary, NC pays 18% 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: $99.0 in Cary, NC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $486 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cary, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:57 4:57 AM

03:57 3:57 AM

1 h behind Cary, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,987

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

Cary, NC Austin, TX 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cary, NC
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Cary, NC. 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 18% higher in Cary, NC, 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: $1,904 in Cary, NC 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 $2,842 per month in Cary, NC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 89% less than in Cary, NC. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching 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 7% less than in Cary, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.