Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cleveland, OH and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cleveland, OH: $2,429 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

119

Cost of Living Index in Cleveland, OH
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Cleveland, OH Living Index
130

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

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Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,429

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,429 in Cleveland, OH versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cleveland, OH $2,429
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,662 in Cleveland, OH versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cleveland, OH $3,662
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,895 in Cleveland, OH versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cleveland, OH $4,895
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cleveland, OH costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cleveland, OH 80% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.96 $17.96

$20.77 $20.77

-13.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.5 $61.5

$84.6 $84.6

-27.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.32 $12.32

-10.06%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$5.63 $5.63

1.07%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.72 $3.72

-29.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.50 $2.50

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.18 $6.18

$8.05 $8.05

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.23 $8.23

$9.01 $9.01

-8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.12 $1.12

-24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.75 $3.75

-12.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.35 $4.35

$3.26 $3.26

33.44%

Eggs

$4.42 $4.42

$4.17 $4.17

6.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.22 $13.22

$12.90 $12.90

2.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.05 $12.05

$14.16 $14.16

-14.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.11 $20.11

$16.22 $16.22

23.98%

Apples (1kg)

$5.00 $5.00

$4.33 $4.33

15.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.46 $1.46

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.13 $4.13

$4.51 $4.51

-8.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.96 $3.96

$4.34 $4.34

-8.76%

Potato (1kg)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.58 $2.58

15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.35 $2.35

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.78 $1.78

24.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.22 $2.22

-1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.88 $9.88

0.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.98 $14.98

$15.08 $15.08

-0.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.42 $2.42

$2.92 $2.92

-17.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.46 $3.46

6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.49 $1.49

69.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.7 $95.7

$41.72 $41.72

129.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.73 $2.73

-1.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.66 $1.66

-7.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.94 $25.94

$35.30 $35.30

-26.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.95 $0.95

14.74%

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

$35.4K $35.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-1.67%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.33%

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

$225 $225

$229 $229

-1.90%

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

$64.3 $64.3

$59.4 $59.4

8.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.6 $72.6

$69.9 $69.9

3.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.81 $36.81

$57.2 $57.2

-35.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$2.04 $2.04

$16.33 $16.33

-87.51%

Cinema Ticket

$13.71 $13.71

$14.28 $14.28

-3.99%

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

$1,089 $1,089

$1,506 $1,506

-27.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.8K $18.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

-12.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$52.8 $52.8

18.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.44 $39.44

$43.82 $43.82

-10.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 $99.0

$84.8 $84.8

16.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$103 $103

12.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,591 $1,591

$1,907 $1,907

-16.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 $1,026

$1,274 $1,274

-19.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,940 $2,940

$3,664 $3,664

-19.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 $1,915

$2,538 $2,538

-24.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,664 $1,664

$7,614 $7,614

-78.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,592 $1,592

$3,157 $3,157

-49.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,683 $3,683

$5,121 $5,121

-28.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.79

-2.95%

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

Last update for Cleveland, OH: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cleveland, OH

$1K 42.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 24.2% $248

Groceries & Markets

Cleveland, OH

$408 16.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 0.7% $3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cleveland, OH

$362 14.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 0.9% $3.2

Eating Out

Cleveland, OH

$311 12.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 13.8% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Cleveland, OH

$143 5.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 10.3% $15

Getting Around

Cleveland, OH

$116 4.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 49.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cleveland, OH

$64 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,591 in Cleveland, OH and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 39% 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: $62.0 in Cleveland, OH vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $408 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cleveland, OH

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:16 8:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

1 h behind Cleveland, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

367,991

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

Cleveland, OH Austin, TX 1,900 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Cleveland, OH
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

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

Cleveland, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cleveland, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 39% 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: $1,591 in Cleveland, OH 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 $2,429 per month in Cleveland, OH versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cleveland, OH runs roughly 129% 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 $2,500. Cleveland, OH 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 Cleveland, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.