Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Charlottesville, VA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Charlottesville, VA
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Charlottesville, VA Living Index
130

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

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Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,973

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,973 in Charlottesville, VA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Charlottesville, VA $2,973
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,460 in Charlottesville, VA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Charlottesville, VA $4,460
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,948 in Charlottesville, VA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Charlottesville, VA $5,948
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Charlottesville, VA is roughly 12% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Charlottesville, VA 120% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.94 $19.94

$20.77 $20.77

-4.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 $12.79

$12.32 $12.32

3.81%

Cappuccino

$4.44 $4.44

$5.63 $5.63

-21.14%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.72 $3.72

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.50 $2.50

-25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.44 $6.44

$8.05 $8.05

-20.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$9.01 $9.01

-35.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.75 $3.75

-2.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$3.26 $3.26

106.75%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.17 $4.17

22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.05 $16.05

$12.90 $12.90

24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$14.16 $14.16

8.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 $17.76

$16.22 $16.22

9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$4.33 $4.33

50.58%

Banana (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$1.46 $1.46

163.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$7.38 $7.38

$4.51 $4.51

63.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.02 $8.02

$4.34 $4.34

84.79%

Potato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$2.58 $2.58

151.94%

Onion (1kg)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.35 $2.35

177.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.78 $1.78

43.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.22 $2.22

44.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.29 $9.29

$9.88 $9.88

-5.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$15.08 $15.08

-2.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.92 $2.92

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.82 $3.82

$3.46 $3.46

10.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.73 $2.73

49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.66 $1.66

24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.21 $25.21

$35.30 $35.30

-28.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.95 $0.95

4.21%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.56%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-7.08%

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

$291 $291

$229 $229

27.20%

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

$52.7 $52.7

$59.4 $59.4

-11.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$99.4 $99.4

$69.9 $69.9

42.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$69.7 $69.7

$57.2 $57.2

21.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.56 $7.56

$16.33 $16.33

-53.70%

Cinema Ticket

$17.28 $17.28

$14.28 $14.28

21.01%

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

$1,391 $1,391

$1,506 $1,506

-7.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K $30.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

40.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.77 $47.77

$52.8 $52.8

-9.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.26 $49.26

$43.82 $43.82

12.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$94.7 $94.7

$84.8 $84.8

11.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$103 $103

15.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$1,907 $1,907

3.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,432 $1,432

$1,274 $1,274

12.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,107 $3,107

$3,664 $3,664

-15.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

-0.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,816 $2,816

$7,614 $7,614

-63.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,771 $2,771

$3,157 $3,157

-12.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,612 $4,612

$5,121 $5,121

-9.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.79

-2.95%

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

Last update for Charlottesville, VA: 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

Charlottesville, VA

$1.4K 48.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 11% $158

Groceries & Markets

Charlottesville, VA

$526 17.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 23.1% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Charlottesville, VA

$443 14.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 19.2% $85

Eating Out

Charlottesville, VA

$313 10.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 12.9% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Charlottesville, VA

$140 4.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Charlottesville, VA

$104 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17.7% $18

Getting Around

Charlottesville, VA

$14 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 307% $44

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 $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 11% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Charlottesville, VA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $526 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Charlottesville, VA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

14:30 2:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

1 h behind Charlottesville, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,475

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Charlottesville, VA Austin, TX 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Charlottesville, VA
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

Charlottesville, VA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Charlottesville, VA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 11% 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: $1,967 in Charlottesville, VA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,391 in Charlottesville, VA 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 $101 in Charlottesville, VA. 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 12% less than in Charlottesville, VA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.