Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cedar Rapids, IA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cedar Rapids, IA: $2,058 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.

100

Cost of Living Index in Cedar Rapids, IA
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Cedar Rapids, IA Living Index
130

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

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Cedar Rapids, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cedar Rapids, IA $2,058
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,080 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cedar Rapids, IA $3,080
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,101 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cedar Rapids, IA $4,101
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cedar Rapids, IA costs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cedar Rapids, IA 52% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.12 $15.12

$20.77 $20.77

-27.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.7 $69.7

$84.6 $84.6

-17.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.84 $10.84

$12.32 $12.32

-12.01%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$5.63 $5.63

3.20%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$3.72 $3.72

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.50 $2.50

-24.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.63 $4.63

$8.05 $8.05

-42.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$9.01 $9.01

-34.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.12 $1.12

-37.50%

White Bread (500g)

$2.46 $2.46

$3.75 $3.75

-34.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.26 $3.26

44.17%

Eggs

$2.52 $2.52

$4.17 $4.17

-39.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.10 $14.10

$12.90 $12.90

9.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.94 $10.94

$14.16 $14.16

-22.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.25 $16.25

$16.22 $16.22

0.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.33 $4.33

13.86%

Banana (1kg)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.46 $1.46

-24.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$4.51 $4.51

16.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.34 $4.34

5.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.58 $2.58

0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.35 $2.35

-5.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.78 $1.78

12.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.22 $2.22

0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.01 $10.01

$9.88 $9.88

1.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.82 $10.82

$15.08 $15.08

-28.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.92 $2.92

-25.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.46 $3.46

-5.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.49 $1.49

14.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.20 $30.20

$41.72 $41.72

-27.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.73 $2.73

27.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.66 $1.66

10.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.60 $45.60

$35.30 $35.30

29.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.95 $0.95

-10.53%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.25%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.84%

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

$208 $208

$229 $229

-9.36%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$59.4 $59.4

-12.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.2 $70.2

$69.9 $69.9

0.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$57.2 $57.2

79.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.05 $19.05

$16.33 $16.33

16.66%

Cinema Ticket

$12.77 $12.77

$14.28 $14.28

-10.57%

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

$893 $893

$1,506 $1,506

-40.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.8K $12.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

-40.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.5 $62.5

$52.8 $52.8

18.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.5 $63.5

$43.82 $43.82

44.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$128 $128

$84.8 $84.8

50.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$152 $152

$103 $103

47.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$1,907 $1,907

-40.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 $724

$1,274 $1,274

-43.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,637 $1,637

$3,664 $3,664

-55.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,194 $1,194

$2,538 $2,538

-52.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,582 $1,582

$7,614 $7,614

-79.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,547 $1,547

$3,157 $3,157

-50.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,682 $3,682

$5,121 $5,121

-28.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.79

-2.36%

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

Last update for Cedar Rapids, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cedar Rapids, IA

$724 35.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 76.1% $551

Groceries & Markets

Cedar Rapids, IA

$367 17.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 10.1% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cedar Rapids, IA

$330 16%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 8.7% $29

Eating Out

Cedar Rapids, IA

$277 13.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 27.9% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Cedar Rapids, IA

$183 8.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 29.9% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Cedar Rapids, IA

$128 6.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33% $42

Getting Around

Cedar Rapids, IA

$50 2.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 18.1% $9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,141 in Cedar Rapids, IA and $1,907 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: $70.0 in Cedar Rapids, IA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $367 vs $405 per month, with Cedar Rapids, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cedar Rapids, IA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:47 11:47 AM

Same time as Cedar Rapids, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,710

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

Cedar Rapids, IA Austin, TX 1,410 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Cedar Rapids, IA
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

Cedar Rapids, IA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cedar Rapids, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cedar Rapids, IA 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: $1,141 in Cedar Rapids, IA 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 $2,058 per month in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cedar Rapids, IA runs roughly 38% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,058 in Cedar Rapids, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cedar Rapids, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cedar Rapids, IA 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.

Safety-wise, Cedar Rapids, IA and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cedar Rapids, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.