Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chelmsford and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Chelmsford: $2,509 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in Chelmsford
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Chelmsford Living Index
130

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

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Chelmsford

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,509

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,509 in Chelmsford versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Chelmsford $2,509
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,892 in Chelmsford versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Chelmsford $3,892
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,275 in Chelmsford versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Chelmsford $5,275
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Chelmsford costs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chelmsford 86% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.94 £20.21

$20.77 $20.77

29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.0 £44.23

$84.6 $84.6

-30.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.14 £6.86

$12.32 $12.32

-25.81%

Cappuccino

$4.65 £3.49

$5.63 $5.63

-17.41%

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

$3.07 £2.31

$3.72 $3.72

-17.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.71 £1.28

$2.50 $2.50

-31.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.19 £5.39

$8.05 $8.05

-10.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.06 £5.30

$9.01 $9.01

-21.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.67 £1.26

$1.12 $1.12

49.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 £1.70

$3.75 $3.75

-39.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.79 £2.09

$3.26 $3.26

-14.42%

Eggs

$3.48 £2.61

$4.17 $4.17

-16.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.13 £6.10

$12.90 $12.90

-36.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.38 £6.29

$14.16 $14.16

-40.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.15 £10.62

$16.22 $16.22

-12.76%

Apples (1kg)

$2.26 £1.70

$4.33 $4.33

-47.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 £1.09

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$3.66 £2.74

$4.51 $4.51

-18.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.31 £2.48

$4.34 $4.34

-23.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.80 £1.35

$2.58 $2.58

-30.23%

Onion (1kg)

$1.52 £1.14

$2.35 $2.35

-35.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.16 £0.87

$1.78 $1.78

-34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 £1.36

$2.22 $2.22

-18.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.50 £16.88

$9.88 $9.88

127.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 £9.01

$15.08 $15.08

-20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 £2.16

$2.92 $2.92

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 £2.60

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.95 £2.96

$1.49 $1.49

165.10%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.1 £51.8

$41.72 $41.72

65.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.77 £3.58

$2.73 $2.73

74.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 £1.26

$1.66 $1.66

1.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.93 £20.20

$35.30 $35.30

-23.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.03 £1.52

$0.95 $0.95

113.68%

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

$37.8K £28.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

4.87%

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

$40.2K £30.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

48.66%

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

$261 £196

$229 $229

14.18%

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

$14.64 £10.98

$59.4 $59.4

-75.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.74 £26.07

$69.9 $69.9

-50.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$50.6 £37.93

$57.2 $57.2

-11.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$17.12 £12.84

$14.28 $14.28

19.89%

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

$1,881 £1,412

$1,506 $1,506

24.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.2K £9,885

$21.5K $21.5K

-38.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$98.9 £74.2

$52.8 $52.8

87.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.37 £32.53

$43.82 $43.82

-1.03%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.6 £71.8

$84.8 $84.8

12.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.0 £64.5

$103 $103

-16.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,575 £1,182

$1,907 $1,907

-17.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 £898

$1,274 $1,274

-6.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,698 £2,024

$3,664 $3,664

-26.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 £1,883

$2,538 $2,538

-1.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,933 £2,200

$5,121 $5,121

-42.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.21

6.79

-23.27%

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

Last update for Chelmsford: 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

Chelmsford

$1.2K 47.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 6.4% $77

Eating Out

Chelmsford

$368 14.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 3.8% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chelmsford

$311 12.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 15.3% $47

Groceries & Markets

Chelmsford

$305 12.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 32.8% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Chelmsford

$146 5.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 12.2% $18

Getting Around

Chelmsford

$98 3.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 40.1% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Chelmsford

$85 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 1.2% $1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,575 in Chelmsford and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 75% 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: $59.0 in Chelmsford vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $305 vs $405 per month, with Chelmsford cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Chelmsford

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

22:29 10:29 PM

6 h behind Chelmsford

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

176,194

974,447

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.33 USD

1 GBP = 1.19 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

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Between locations

Chelmsford Austin, TX 7,940 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Chelmsford
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

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

Chelmsford wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chelmsford the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 75% 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: $1,575 in Chelmsford 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 $2,509 per month in Chelmsford versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chelmsford runs roughly 66% 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 $3,000. Chelmsford 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, Chelmsford 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 Chelmsford gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.