Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chapel Hill, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Chapel Hill, NC and in Austin, TX: $2,762 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

133

Cost of Living Index in Chapel Hill, NC
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Chapel Hill, NC Living Index
130

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

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Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,762

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,762 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Chapel Hill, NC $2,762
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,394 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Chapel Hill, NC $4,394
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,026 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Chapel Hill, NC $6,026
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Chapel Hill, NC is roughly 4% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chapel Hill, NC 105% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$20.77 $20.77

-12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.6 $89.6

$84.6 $84.6

5.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.32 $12.32

-18.18%

Cappuccino

$4.88 $4.88

$5.63 $5.63

-13.32%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.72 $3.72

-22.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.50 $2.50

-18.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.05 $8.05

-24.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.84 $6.84

$9.01 $9.01

-24.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.75 $3.75

26.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.50 $9.50

$3.26 $3.26

191.41%

Eggs

$5.31 $5.31

$4.17 $4.17

27.34%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.88 $17.88

$12.90 $12.90

38.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.82 $13.82

$14.16 $14.16

-2.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.57 $27.57

$16.22 $16.22

69.98%

Apples (1kg)

$8.11 $8.11

$4.33 $4.33

87.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.46 $1.46

21.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.51 $4.51

49.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.09 $6.09

$4.34 $4.34

40.32%

Potato (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$2.58 $2.58

86.82%

Onion (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.35 $2.35

66.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.66 $2.66

$1.78 $1.78

49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.22 $2.22

-11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.91 $7.91

$9.88 $9.88

-19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$15.08 $15.08

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.92 $2.92

-45.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.03 $4.03

$3.46 $3.46

16.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.73 $2.73

-27.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.66 $1.66

41.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.83 $14.83

$35.30 $35.30

-57.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.95 $0.95

3.16%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-1.57%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-10.01%

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

$223 $223

$229 $229

-2.49%

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

$52.0 $52.0

$59.4 $59.4

-12.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$69.9 $69.9

2.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.1 $79.1

$57.2 $57.2

38.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 $13.55

$14.28 $14.28

-5.11%

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

$1,414 $1,414

$1,506 $1,506

-6.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,917 $9,917

$21.5K $21.5K

-53.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.73 $38.73

$52.8 $52.8

-26.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.35 $31.35

$43.82 $43.82

-28.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$84.8 $84.8

19.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$138 $138

$103 $103

34.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,741 $1,741

$1,907 $1,907

-8.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,323 $1,323

$1,274 $1,274

3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,816 $2,816

$3,664 $3,664

-23.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,786 $2,786

$2,538 $2,538

9.76%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,755 $2,755

$7,614 $7,614

-63.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,717 $2,717

$3,157 $3,157

-13.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,375 $5,375

$5,121 $5,121

4.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.79

-1.62%

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

Last update for Chapel Hill, NC: 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

Chapel Hill, NC

$1.3K 47.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 3.7% $49

Groceries & Markets

Chapel Hill, NC

$535 19.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 24.3% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chapel Hill, NC

$347 12.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 3.3% $12

Eating Out

Chapel Hill, NC

$298 10.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 18.7% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Chapel Hill, NC

$139 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8.2% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Chapel Hill, NC

$106 3.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 19.2% $20

Getting Around

Chapel Hill, NC

$14 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 328% $45

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 $1,741 in Chapel Hill, NC and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Chapel Hill, NC pays 5% 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: $90.0 in Chapel Hill, NC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $535 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chapel Hill, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

1 h behind Chapel Hill, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,960

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Chapel Hill, NC Austin, TX 1,850 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Chapel Hill, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Chapel Hill, 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 5% higher in Chapel Hill, 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: $1,741 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,414 in Chapel Hill, NC versus $1,506 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $90.0 in Chapel Hill, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 4% less than in Chapel Hill, NC. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.