Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dearborn, MI and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Dearborn, MI and in Austin, TX: $2,625 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Dearborn, MI
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Dearborn, MI Living Index
125

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

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Dearborn, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,625 in Dearborn, MI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Dearborn, MI $2,625
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,801 in Dearborn, MI versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Dearborn, MI $3,801
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,978 in Dearborn, MI versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Dearborn, MI $4,978
Austin, TX $5,454

Monthly costs are close between Dearborn, MI and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dearborn, MI 93% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.32 $18.32

$20.35 $20.35

-9.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.5 $62.5

$84.7 $84.7

-26.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.10 $11.10

$12.12 $12.12

-8.42%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$5.65 $5.65

1.42%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.68 $3.68

-28.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.36 $2.36

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.83 $5.83

$7.87 $7.87

-25.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.94 $7.94

$8.82 $8.82

-9.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.14 $1.14

-25.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.69 $3.69

-10.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.31 $3.31

34.44%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$4.15 $4.15

-6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.32 $13.32

$12.98 $12.98

2.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.14 $11.14

$13.86 $13.86

-19.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.62 $16.62

$16.34 $16.34

1.71%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$4.69 $4.69

7.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.45 $1.45

5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.11 $5.11

-18.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.92 $3.92

$4.52 $4.52

-13.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.08 $3.08

-17.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.38 $2.38

26.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.80 $1.80

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.22 $2.22

-6.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.24 $10.24

$9.97 $9.97

2.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$15.05 $15.05

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.91 $2.91

-16.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.33 $3.33

1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.22 $1.22

60.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$63.1 $63.1

$40.53 $40.53

55.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.78 $2.78

0.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.65 $1.65

-4.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.55 $23.55

$35.39 $35.39

-33.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$0.95 $0.95

13.68%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$34.2K $34.2K

-0.44%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.90%

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

$216 $216

$223 $223

-3.02%

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

$59.3 $59.3

$58.5 $58.5

1.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$71.2 $71.2

-4.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.28 $40.28

$53.0 $53.0

-24.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.48 $13.48

$14.06 $14.06

-4.13%

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

$1,253 $1,253

$1,459 $1,459

-14.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

51.66%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 $59.9

$52.5 $52.5

14.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.78 $40.78

$42.75 $42.75

-4.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.3 $97.3

$86.4 $86.4

12.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$104 $104

12.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,551 $1,551

$2,112 $2,112

-26.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$1,230 $1,230

4.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,501 $2,501

$3,863 $3,863

-35.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,136 $2,136

$2,407 $2,407

-11.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,922 $1,922

$7,426 $7,426

-74.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,907 $1,907

$3,060 $3,060

-37.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,757 $3,757

$5,179 $5,179

-27.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.82

-4.84%

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

Last update for Dearborn, MI: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dearborn, MI

$1.3K 49.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 4.7% $61

Groceries & Markets

Dearborn, MI

$387 14.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 5.9% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dearborn, MI

$344 13.1%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 2.6% $8.8

Eating Out

Dearborn, MI

$312 11.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 11.6% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Dearborn, MI

$142 5.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 9.2% $13

Getting Around

Dearborn, MI

$82 3.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 30.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Dearborn, MI

$67 2.6%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 20.7% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,551 in Dearborn, MI and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $62 in Dearborn, MI vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $387 vs $410 per month, with Dearborn, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dearborn, MI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:12 6:12 PM

17:12 5:12 PM

1 h behind Dearborn, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

92,382

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Dearborn, MI Austin, TX 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Dearborn, MI
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

Dearborn, MI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 27% lower in Dearborn, MI. 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: $1,551 in Dearborn, MI versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,253 in Dearborn, MI versus $1,459 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 Dearborn, MI – a meal for two runs $62 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.