Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Clinton, IA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Clinton, IA: $2,388 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Clinton, IA
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Clinton, IA Living Index
129

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

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Clinton, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,388

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,388 in Clinton, IA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Clinton, IA $2,388
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Clinton, IA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Clinton, IA $3,384
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,379 in Clinton, IA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Clinton, IA $4,379
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Clinton, IA costs roughly 11% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Clinton, IA 76% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.88 $6.88

$20.63 $20.63

-66.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.39 $49.39

$84.6 $84.6

-41.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.77 $11.77

$12.07 $12.07

-2.49%

Cappuccino

$5.82 $5.82

$5.48 $5.48

6.20%

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

$2.91 $2.91

$3.80 $3.80

-23.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.47 $2.47

-18.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.17 $7.17

$8.05 $8.05

-10.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.88 $8.88

-8.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.11 $1.11

-26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 $2.26

$3.72 $3.72

-39.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$3.37 $3.37

-33.23%

Eggs

$2.04 $2.04

$4.32 $4.32

-52.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.13 $13.13

-0.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$14.15 $14.15

-52.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$16.33 $16.33

21.25%

Apples (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.55 $4.55

-50.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.46 $1.46

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$4.71 $4.71

-28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.26 $2.26

$4.15 $4.15

-45.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$2.58 $2.58

-58.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.35 $2.35

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.77 $1.77

14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.14 $2.14

10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.97 $10.97

$10.10 $10.10

8.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.32 $15.32

$15.19 $15.19

0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.82 $2.82

-2.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.44 $3.44

27.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.54 $1.54

34.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.89 $3.89

$2.80 $2.80

38.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.60 $1.60

23.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.90 $43.90

$34.34 $34.34

27.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.94 $0.94

-1.06%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-9.44%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.49%

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

$246 $246

$223 $223

10.39%

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

$33.00 $33.00

$58.9 $58.9

-43.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.82 $47.82

$70.6 $70.6

-32.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.47 $41.47

$57.7 $57.7

-28.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$10.16 $10.16

$14.26 $14.26

-28.75%

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

$1,716 $1,716

$1,511 $1,511

13.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.2K $23.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

11.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.3 $65.3

$51.3 $51.3

27.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.69 $49.69

$44.17 $44.17

12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$87.0 $87.0

-7.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$104 $104

17.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$700 $700

$1,940 $1,940

-63.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,280 $1,280

$1,316 $1,316

-2.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,502 $2,502

$3,664 $3,664

-31.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,116 $2,116

$2,565 $2,565

-17.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,355 $2,355

$7,354 $7,354

-67.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,544 $2,544

$3,129 $3,129

-18.69%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,394 $5,394

$5,286 $5,286

2.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-11.63%

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

Last update for Clinton, IA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Clinton, IA

$1.3K 53.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2.8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Clinton, IA

$327 13.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 7.8% $26

Groceries & Markets

Clinton, IA

$323 13.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 25.7% $83

Eating Out

Clinton, IA

$232 9.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 50.9% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Clinton, IA

$143 6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 9.7% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Clinton, IA

$62 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 39.5% $24

Getting Around

Clinton, IA

$22 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 162% $36

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 $700 in Clinton, IA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Clinton, IA pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $49.00 in Clinton, IA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $323 vs $406 per month, with Clinton, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Clinton, IA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:00 8:00 PM

Same time as Clinton, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,884

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

Clinton, IA Austin, TX 1,450 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Clinton, IA
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

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

Clinton, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Clinton, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2% higher in Clinton, IA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $700 in Clinton, IA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,716 in Clinton, IA versus $1,511 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 Clinton, IA – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,388 in Clinton, IA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Clinton, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Clinton, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Clinton, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.