Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Chevy Chase, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Chevy Chase, MD
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Chevy Chase, MD Living Index
130

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

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Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$3,535

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,535 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Chevy Chase, MD $3,535
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,617 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Chevy Chase, MD $4,617
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,699 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Chevy Chase, MD $5,699
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Chevy Chase, MD is roughly 33% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Chevy Chase, MD 162% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.84 $23.84

$20.77 $20.77

14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$84.6 $84.6

18.54%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.88 $10.88

$12.32 $12.32

-11.69%

Cappuccino

$5.70 $5.70

$5.63 $5.63

1.24%

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

$2.99 $2.99

$3.72 $3.72

-19.62%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.50 $2.50

-2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$8.05 $8.05

-1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.10 $9.10

$9.01 $9.01

1.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.12 $1.12

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.75 $3.75

18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$3.26 $3.26

67.48%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$4.17 $4.17

21.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$21.40 $21.40

$12.90 $12.90

65.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.53 $15.53

$14.16 $14.16

9.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.24 $23.24

$16.22 $16.22

43.28%

Apples (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.33 $4.33

27.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.46 $1.46

24.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.60 $4.60

$4.51 $4.51

2.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.95 $5.95

$4.34 $4.34

37.10%

Potato (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.58 $2.58

24.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.35 $2.35

60.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.78 $1.78

31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.22 $2.22

15.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.42 $10.42

$9.88 $9.88

5.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.09 $17.09

$15.08 $15.08

13.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.92 $2.92

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.46 $3.46

-14.74%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.49 $1.49

45.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.07 $4.07

$2.73 $2.73

49.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.66 $1.66

-23.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.05 $25.05

$35.30 $35.30

-29.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

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

$34.3K $34.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

-4.96%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.17%

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

$163 $163

$229 $229

-28.94%

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

$51.0 $51.0

$59.4 $59.4

-14.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$69.9 $69.9

-10.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.93 $37.93

$57.2 $57.2

-33.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$16.66 $16.66

$14.28 $14.28

16.67%

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

$1,586 $1,586

$1,506 $1,506

5.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-6.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.7 $55.7

$52.8 $52.8

5.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.1 $63.1

$43.82 $43.82

44.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$84.8 $84.8

18.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 $166

$103 $103

61.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,555 $2,555

$1,907 $1,907

33.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$1,274 $1,274

65.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,195 $4,195

$3,664 $3,664

14.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,376 $2,376

$2,538 $2,538

-6.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,777 $2,777

$7,614 $7,614

-63.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$3,157 $3,157

-24.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Chevy Chase, MD: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Chevy Chase, MD

$2.1K 59.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 39.7% $840

Groceries & Markets

Chevy Chase, MD

$509 14.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 20.5% $104

Eating Out

Chevy Chase, MD

$371 10.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 4.7% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Chevy Chase, MD

$276 7.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 29.7% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Chevy Chase, MD

$174 4.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Chevy Chase, MD

$71 2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 20.4% $15

Getting Around

Chevy Chase, MD

$19 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 207% $40

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 $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $100 in Chevy Chase, MD vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $509 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Chevy Chase, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:30 4:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

1 h behind Chevy Chase, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,000

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

Chevy Chase, MD Austin, TX 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Chevy Chase, MD
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

Chevy Chase, MD vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Chevy Chase, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $5,302 in Chevy Chase, MD and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,555 in Chevy Chase, MD versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,586 in Chevy Chase, MD 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 $100 in Chevy Chase, MD. 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 33% less than in Chevy Chase, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.