Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chattanooga, TN and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Chattanooga, TN and in Austin, TX: $2,611 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Chattanooga, TN
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Chattanooga, TN Living Index
129

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

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Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,611

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,611 in Chattanooga, TN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Chattanooga, TN $2,611
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,850 in Chattanooga, TN versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Chattanooga, TN $3,850
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,089 in Chattanooga, TN versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Chattanooga, TN $5,089
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Chattanooga, TN costs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chattanooga, TN 93% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.63 $19.63

$20.63 $20.63

-4.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$84.6 $84.6

17.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.15 $11.15

$12.07 $12.07

-7.62%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.48 $5.48

-2.37%

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

$2.34 $2.34

$3.80 $3.80

-38.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.47 $2.47

-15.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$8.05 $8.05

-23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.49 $7.49

$8.88 $8.88

-15.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 $1.11

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.72 $3.72

-3.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.37 $3.37

18.10%

Eggs

$4.19 $4.19

$4.32 $4.32

-3.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.24 $14.24

$13.13 $13.13

8.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.91 $14.91

$14.15 $14.15

5.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$16.33 $16.33

-17.64%

Apples (1kg)

$6.41 $6.41

$4.55 $4.55

40.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.46 $1.46

13.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.24 $4.24

$4.71 $4.71

-9.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.15 $4.15

2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.58 $2.58

6.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.35 $2.35

53.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.69 $2.69

$1.77 $1.77

51.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.14 $2.14

27.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.27 $9.27

$10.10 $10.10

-8.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.64 $17.64

$15.19 $15.19

16.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.82 $2.82

-28.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.44 $3.44

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.54 $1.54

25.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.71 $49.71

$40.99 $40.99

21.27%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.14 $5.14

$2.80 $2.80

83.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.60 $1.60

20.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.07 $30.07

$34.34 $34.34

-12.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.94 $0.94

2.13%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.83%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.79%

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

$159 $159

$223 $223

-28.65%

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

$82.9 $82.9

$58.9 $58.9

40.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$70.6 $70.6

6.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.22 $39.22

$57.7 $57.7

-32.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.95 $3.95

$16.53 $16.53

-76.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$14.26 $14.26

5.33%

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

$1,086 $1,086

$1,511 $1,511

-28.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.7K $24.7K

$20.9K $20.9K

18.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.44 $41.44

$51.3 $51.3

-19.17%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.80 $38.80

$44.17 $44.17

-12.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.9 $99.9

$87.0 $87.0

14.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$104 $104

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,707 $1,707

$1,940 $1,940

-12.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,316 $1,316

-3.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,190 $3,190

$3,664 $3,664

-12.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,984 $1,984

$2,565 $2,565

-22.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,249 $2,249

$7,354 $7,354

-69.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,273 $2,273

$3,129 $3,129

-27.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,984 $3,984

$5,286 $5,286

-24.65%

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 Chattanooga, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chattanooga, TN

$1.3K 48.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 3.5% $45

Groceries & Markets

Chattanooga, TN

$429 16.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 5.3% $23

Eating Out

Chattanooga, TN

$318 12.2%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.1% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chattanooga, TN

$317 12.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 11.1% $35

Clothing & Footwear

Chattanooga, TN

$134 5.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4% $5.3

Getting Around

Chattanooga, TN

$72 2.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 19.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Chattanooga, TN

$69 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.5% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,707 in Chattanooga, TN and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% 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 Chattanooga, TN vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $429 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chattanooga, TN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:55 8:55 AM

07:55 7:55 AM

1 h behind Chattanooga, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,588

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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Between locations

Chattanooga, TN Austin, TX 1,280 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Chattanooga, TN
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

Chattanooga, TN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chattanooga, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chattanooga, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 33% 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: $1,707 in Chattanooga, TN versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,611 per month in Chattanooga, TN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chattanooga, TN runs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Chattanooga, TN 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.

Safety-wise, Chattanooga, TN 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 Chattanooga, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.