Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clearwater, FL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,966 in Clearwater, FL, rent and utilities included – about $4,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Clearwater, FL
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Clearwater, FL Living Index
125

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

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Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,966

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,966 in Clearwater, FL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Clearwater, FL $2,966
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,418 in Clearwater, FL versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Clearwater, FL $4,418
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,870 in Clearwater, FL versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Clearwater, FL $5,870
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Clearwater, FL is roughly 14% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Clearwater, FL 118% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.13 $17.13

$20.35 $20.35

-15.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.5 $68.5

$84.7 $84.7

-19.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.70 $11.70

$12.12 $12.12

-3.47%

Cappuccino

$4.94 $4.94

$5.65 $5.65

-12.57%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$3.68 $3.68

-38.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 $1.82

$2.36 $2.36

-22.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.48 $5.48

$7.87 $7.87

-30.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.07 $8.07

$8.82 $8.82

-8.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.14 $1.14

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.69 $3.69

1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.31 $3.31

33.53%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$4.15 $4.15

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$12.98 $12.98

-16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.43 $14.43

$13.86 $13.86

4.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.67 $19.67

$16.34 $16.34

20.38%

Apples (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$4.69 $4.69

38.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.45 $1.45

1.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$5.11 $5.11

18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.52 $4.52

36.28%

Potato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.08 $3.08

51.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$2.38 $2.38

63.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.80 $1.80

43.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.22 $2.22

21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.10 $9.10

$9.97 $9.97

-8.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.81 $16.81

$15.05 $15.05

11.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.91 $2.91

-37.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.33 $3.33

39.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.22 $1.22

140.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 $80.7

$40.53 $40.53

99.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.78 $2.78

19.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.66 $0.66

$1.65 $1.65

-60.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.2 $61.2

$35.39 $35.39

72.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.95 $0.95

2.11%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-18.83%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.62%

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

$249 $249

$223 $223

11.78%

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

$55.4 $55.4

$58.5 $58.5

-5.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.7 $75.7

$71.2 $71.2

6.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.23 $37.23

$53.0 $53.0

-29.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.09 $25.09

$16.75 $16.75

49.79%

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 $16.03

$14.06 $14.06

14.01%

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

$1,252 $1,252

$1,459 $1,459

-14.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.4K $25.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

19.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.3 $75.3

$52.5 $52.5

43.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 $54.4

$42.75 $42.75

27.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$86.4 $86.4

24.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$104 $104

35.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,973 $1,973

$2,112 $2,112

-6.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,499 $1,499

$1,230 $1,230

21.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,204 $3,204

$3,863 $3,863

-17.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$2,407 $2,407

12.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,115 $3,115

$7,426 $7,426

-58.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,528 $2,528

$3,060 $3,060

-17.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,695 $3,695

$5,179 $5,179

-28.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.82

-3.37%

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

Last update for Clearwater, FL: 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

Clearwater, FL

$1.5K 50.5%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 17.9% $269

Groceries & Markets

Clearwater, FL

$457 15.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 10.4% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clearwater, FL

$380 12.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 7.3% $28

Eating Out

Clearwater, FL

$291 9.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 19.5% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Clearwater, FL

$170 5.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 24.5% $42

Getting Around

Clearwater, FL

$99 3.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 43% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Clearwater, FL

$69 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 17.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,973 in Clearwater, FL and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Clearwater, FL vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $457 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clearwater, FL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:03 9:03 PM

20:03 8:03 PM

1 h behind Clearwater, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

107,742

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Clearwater, FL Austin, TX 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Clearwater, FL
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Clearwater, FL. 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 29% lower in Clearwater, FL. 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: $1,973 in Clearwater, FL versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,966 per month in Clearwater, FL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 50% less than in Clearwater, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.