Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Columbia, TN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbia, TN: $2,317 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

112

Cost of Living Index in Columbia, TN
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Columbia, TN Living Index
130

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

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Columbia, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,317

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,317 in Columbia, TN versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Columbia, TN $2,317
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,477 in Columbia, TN versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Columbia, TN $3,477
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,637 in Columbia, TN versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Columbia, TN $4,637
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Columbia, TN costs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbia, TN 72% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.87 $11.87

$20.77 $20.77

-42.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.4 $60.4

$84.6 $84.6

-28.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.08 $10.08

$12.32 $12.32

-18.18%

Cappuccino

$3.95 $3.95

$5.63 $5.63

-29.84%

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

$2.22 $2.22

$3.72 $3.72

-40.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.50 $2.50

-36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.38 $6.38

$8.05 $8.05

-20.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.27 $7.27

$9.01 $9.01

-19.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.75 $3.75

-21.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.26 $3.26

25.77%

Eggs

$2.61 $2.61

$4.17 $4.17

-37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$12.90 $12.90

2.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.56 $6.56

$14.16 $14.16

-53.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.43 $13.43

$16.22 $16.22

-17.20%

Apples (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.33 $4.33

28.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.46 $1.46

-17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$4.51 $4.51

27.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.99 $3.99

$4.34 $4.34

-8.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.58 $2.58

22.09%

Onion (1kg)

$4.17 $4.17

$2.35 $2.35

77.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.78 $1.78

36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.22 $2.22

-4.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.61 $10.61

$9.88 $9.88

7.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.11 $13.11

$15.08 $15.08

-13.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.92 $2.92

-39.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.57 $1.57

$3.46 $3.46

-54.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.73 $2.73

-28.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.66 $1.66

-15.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$19.79 $19.79

$35.30 $35.30

-43.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.76 $0.76

$0.95 $0.95

-20.00%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

4.31%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

1.17%

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

$157 $157

$229 $229

-31.58%

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

$60.2 $60.2

$59.4 $59.4

1.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.9 $74.9

$69.9 $69.9

7.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.38 $34.38

$57.2 $57.2

-39.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$12.60 $12.60

$14.28 $14.28

-11.76%

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

$1,696 $1,696

$1,506 $1,506

12.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

15.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.58 $40.58

$52.8 $52.8

-23.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.45 $33.45

$43.82 $43.82

-23.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 $82.6

$84.8 $84.8

-2.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.6 $88.6

$103 $103

-13.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,476 $1,476

$1,907 $1,907

-22.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,274 $1,274

-0.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$3,664 $3,664

-32.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,343 $2,343

$2,538 $2,538

-7.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.79

-2.80%

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

Last update for Columbia, TN: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Columbia, TN

$1.3K 54.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 0.8% $9.6

Groceries & Markets

Columbia, TN

$348 15%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 16.3% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbia, TN

$292 12.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 22.8% $67

Eating Out

Columbia, TN

$234 10.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 51.1% $120

Clothing & Footwear

Columbia, TN

$110 4.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Columbia, TN

$60 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 44% $26

Getting Around

Columbia, TN

$9 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 552% $50

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 $1,476 in Columbia, TN and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $60.0 in Columbia, TN vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $405 per month, with Columbia, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbia, TN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:32 1:32 PM

Same time as Columbia, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

672,228

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Columbia, TN Austin, TX 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Columbia, TN
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

Columbia, TN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Columbia, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Columbia, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,476 in Columbia, TN 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: $1,476 in Columbia, TN versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,696 in Columbia, TN 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 Columbia, TN – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,317 in Columbia, TN versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Columbia, TN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Columbia, TN 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.

Safety-wise, Columbia, TN and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Columbia, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.