Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Chesapeake, VA and in Austin, TX: $2,546 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

Chesapeake, VA, United States
Austin, TX, United States
Chesapeake, VA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,546
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,546 in Chesapeake, VA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

  • Chesapeake, VA $2,546
  • Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,565 in Chesapeake, VA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

  • Chesapeake, VA $3,565
  • Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,585 in Chesapeake, VA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

  • Chesapeake, VA $4,585
  • Austin, TX $5,454

Monthly costs are close between Chesapeake, VA and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chesapeake, VA 87% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.28 $20.28
$20.35 $20.35
-0.34%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$89.6 $89.6
$84.7 $84.7
5.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.56 $11.56
$12.12 $12.12
-4.62%
Cappuccino
$5.91 $5.91
$5.65 $5.65
4.60%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.31 $2.31
$3.68 $3.68
-37.23%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.11 $2.11
$2.36 $2.36
-10.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.03 $6.03
$7.87 $7.87
-23.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.60 $6.60
$8.82 $8.82
-25.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.14 $1.14
-23.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.62 $3.62
$3.69 $3.69
-1.90%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.12 $3.12
$3.31 $3.31
-5.74%
Eggs
$3.26 $3.26
$4.15 $4.15
-21.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.06 $14.06
$12.98 $12.98
8.32%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.03 $8.03
$13.86 $13.86
-42.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$17.61 $17.61
$16.34 $16.34
7.77%
Apples (1kg)
$5.09 $5.09
$4.69 $4.69
8.53%
Banana (1kg)
$1.06 $1.06
$1.45 $1.45
-26.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$5.11 $5.11
-14.68%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.44 $4.44
$4.52 $4.52
-1.77%
Potato (1kg)
$2.86 $2.86
$3.08 $3.08
-7.14%
Onion (1kg)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.38 $2.38
18.49%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.51 $1.51
$1.80 $1.80
-16.11%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.17 $2.17
$2.22 $2.22
-2.25%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.83 $8.83
$9.97 $9.97
-11.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.27 $15.27
$15.05 $15.05
1.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.70 $1.70
$2.91 $2.91
-41.58%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.77 $2.77
$3.33 $3.33
-16.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.22 $1.22
67.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$71.1 $71.1
$40.53 $40.53
75.43%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.96 $2.96
$2.78 $2.78
6.47%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.23 $1.23
$1.65 $1.65
-25.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.85 $17.85
$35.39 $35.39
-49.56%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.98 $0.98
$0.95 $0.95
3.16%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$34.2K $34.2K
-19.81%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.1K $26.1K
$26.8K $26.8K
-2.46%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$187 $187
$223 $223
-16.29%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$58.5 $58.5
-0.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$67.8 $67.8
$71.2 $71.2
-4.76%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.05 $40.05
$53.0 $53.0
-24.49%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.75 $16.75
-
Cinema Ticket
$9.07 $9.07
$14.06 $14.06
-35.49%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,324 $1,324
$1,459 $1,459
-9.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$18.7K $18.7K
$21.3K $21.3K
-12.49%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$40.10 $40.10
$52.5 $52.5
-23.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$20.16 $20.16
$42.75 $42.75
-52.84%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$76.1 $76.1
$86.4 $86.4
-11.92%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$107 $107
$104 $104
3.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,047 $2,047
$2,112 $2,112
-3.04%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,281 $1,281
$1,230 $1,230
4.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,839 $2,839
$3,863 $3,863
-26.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,717 $1,717
$2,407 $2,407
-28.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,844 $2,844
$7,426 $7,426
-61.71%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,015 $2,015
$3,060 $3,060
-34.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Chesapeake, VA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,368 $4,368
$5,179 $5,179
-15.66%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.49
6.82
-4.84%

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

Last update for Chesapeake, VA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Chesapeake, VA
$1.3K
Austin, TX
$1.2K 3.9% $51
Groceries & Markets
Chesapeake, VA
$368
Austin, TX
$410 11.4% $42
Eating Out
Chesapeake, VA
$329
Austin, TX
$348 5.9% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Chesapeake, VA
$312
Austin, TX
$353 12.9% $40
Clothing & Footwear
Chesapeake, VA
$109
Austin, TX
$128 17.3% $19
Getting Around
Chesapeake, VA
$88
Austin, TX
$56 36.1% $32
Sport & Entertainment
Chesapeake, VA
$58
Austin, TX
$81 39.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,047 in Chesapeake, VA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $90 in Chesapeake, VA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $368 vs $410, with Chesapeake, VA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Chesapeake, VA
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
21:19 9:19 PM
20:19 8:19 PM
1 h behind Chesapeake, VA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
249,422
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 30, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.897 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Chesapeake, VA Austin, TX 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Chesapeake, 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
Chesapeake, VA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Chesapeake, VA or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 16% lower in Chesapeake, VA. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Chesapeake, VA compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,047 in Chesapeake, VA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Chesapeake, VA and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $1,324 in Chesapeake, VA versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Chesapeake, VA and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $90 in Chesapeake, VA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Chesapeake, VA or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Chesapeake, VA is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Chesapeake, VA is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Should I move to Chesapeake, VA or to Austin, TX?
It comes down to priorities – Chesapeake, VA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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