Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Columbus, OH: $2,491 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

121

Cost of Living Index in Columbus, OH
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Columbus, OH Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 United States

$2,491

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,491 in Columbus, OH versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Columbus, OH $2,491
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,714 in Columbus, OH versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Columbus, OH $3,714
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,936 in Columbus, OH versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Columbus, OH $4,936
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Columbus, OH costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Columbus, OH 84% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.03 $22.03

$20.63 $20.63

6.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.8 $77.8

$84.6 $84.6

-8.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.86 $11.86

$12.07 $12.07

-1.74%

Cappuccino

$5.49 $5.49

$5.48 $5.48

0.18%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.80 $3.80

-33.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.47 $2.47

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$8.05 $8.05

-27.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$8.88 $8.88

-19.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.11 $1.11

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.72 $3.72

-15.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.27 $5.27

$3.37 $3.37

56.38%

Eggs

$3.78 $3.78

$4.32 $4.32

-12.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.83 $13.83

$13.13 $13.13

5.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.55 $14.55

$14.15 $14.15

2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.83 $15.83

$16.33 $16.33

-3.06%

Apples (1kg)

$6.42 $6.42

$4.55 $4.55

41.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.46 $1.46

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.05 $6.05

$4.71 $4.71

28.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.15 $4.15

15.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 $2.84

$2.58 $2.58

10.08%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.35 $2.35

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.17 $2.17

$1.77 $1.77

22.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.14 $2.14

10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.06 $10.06

$10.10 $10.10

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.46 $16.46

$15.19 $15.19

8.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.82 $2.82

-24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$3.44 $3.44

-12.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.54 $1.54

28.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.2 $63.2

$40.99 $40.99

54.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.80 $2.80

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.60 $1.60

-18.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.20 $27.20

$34.34 $34.34

-20.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.94 $0.94

6.38%

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

$31.0K $31.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-8.66%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.68%

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

$222 $222

$223 $223

-0.09%

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

$65.4 $65.4

$58.9 $58.9

10.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$70.6 $70.6

-3.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$35.63 $35.63

$57.7 $57.7

-38.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$41.46 $41.46

$16.53 $16.53

150.82%

Cinema Ticket

$13.23 $13.23

$14.26 $14.26

-7.22%

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

$1,610 $1,610

$1,511 $1,511

6.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.9K $33.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

62.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.89 $48.89

$51.3 $51.3

-4.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.71 $41.71

$44.17 $44.17

-5.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$87.0 $87.0

-7.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$104 $104

4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,543 $1,543

$1,940 $1,940

-20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$1,316 $1,316

-16.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,398 $2,398

$3,664 $3,664

-34.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,839 $1,839

$2,565 $2,565

-28.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,398 $3,398

$7,354 $7,354

-53.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,763 $1,763

$3,129 $3,129

-43.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,995 $3,995

$5,286 $5,286

-24.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.79

-2.21%

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

Last update for Columbus, OH: 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

Columbus, OH

$1.1K 44%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 20.1% $220

Groceries & Markets

Columbus, OH

$431 17.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 5.8% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Columbus, OH

$356 14.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1% $3.5

Eating Out

Columbus, OH

$340 13.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 3.1% $11

Clothing & Footwear

Columbus, OH

$126 5.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 2.5% $3.1

Getting Around

Columbus, OH

$81 3.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 28.1% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Columbus, OH

$62 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 38.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,543 in Columbus, OH and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 32% 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: $78.0 in Columbus, OH vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $431 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Columbus, OH

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

05:50 5:50 AM

1 h behind Columbus, OH

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

905,748

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

Columbus, OH Austin, TX 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Columbus, 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

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

Columbus, OH wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Columbus, OH the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $1,543 in Columbus, OH versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,491 per month in Columbus, OH versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Columbus, OH runs roughly 54% 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 $2,000. Columbus, OH is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Columbus, OH delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,491 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Columbus, OH hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Columbus, OH gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.