Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Denver and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Denver and in Austin, TX: $2,666 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

121

Cost of Living Index in Denver
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Denver Living Index
130

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

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Denver

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,666

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,666 in Denver versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Denver $2,666
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,649 in Denver versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Denver $3,649
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,631 in Denver versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Denver $4,631
Austin, TX $5,603

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Denver 98% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.94 A$24.37

$20.77 $20.77

-18.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.2 A$137

$84.6 $84.6

12.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.72 A$15.43

$12.32 $12.32

-12.99%

Cappuccino

$4.40 A$6.33

$5.63 $5.63

-21.85%

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

$2.80 A$4.03

$3.72 $3.72

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.56 A$3.68

$2.50 $2.50

2.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 A$11.27

$8.05 $8.05

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.46 A$10.74

$9.01 $9.01

-17.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 A$1.92

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$2.99 A$4.31

$3.75 $3.75

-20.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.53 A$3.65

$3.26 $3.26

-22.39%

Eggs

$5.49 A$7.89

$4.17 $4.17

31.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.75 A$14.02

$12.90 $12.90

-24.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.54 A$15.16

$14.16 $14.16

-25.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.60 A$18.12

$16.22 $16.22

-22.32%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 A$5.48

$4.33 $4.33

-12.01%

Banana (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.49

$1.46 $1.46

113.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.04 A$4.37

$4.51 $4.51

-32.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 A$7.31

$4.34 $4.34

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.84 A$4.09

$2.58 $2.58

10.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 A$3.14

$2.35 $2.35

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 A$3.45

$1.78 $1.78

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 A$2.07

$2.22 $2.22

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.07 A$62.0

$9.88 $9.88

335.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.42 A$20.76

$15.08 $15.08

-4.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.92 A$7.08

$2.92 $2.92

68.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.47 A$7.86

$3.46 $3.46

58.09%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.65 A$3.82

$1.49 $1.49

77.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.0 A$128

$41.72 $41.72

113.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 A$5.73

$2.73 $2.73

45.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.34

$1.66 $1.66

-1.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.09 A$54.8

$35.30 $35.30

7.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 A$2.07

$0.95 $0.95

51.58%

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

$29.0K A$41.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-19.57%

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

$31.1K A$44.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

14.90%

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

$210 A$302

$229 $229

-8.49%

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

$27.33 A$39.33

$59.4 $59.4

-53.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.3

$69.9 $69.9

-16.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.3 A$76.7

$57.2 $57.2

-6.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.34 A$26.39

$16.33 $16.33

12.31%

Cinema Ticket

$16.27 A$23.41

$14.28 $14.28

13.94%

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

$2,199 A$3,165

$1,506 $1,506

46.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.6K A$32.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

5.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$98.2

$52.8 $52.8

29.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.94 A$70.4

$43.82 $43.82

11.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$150

$84.8 $84.8

23.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 A$181

$103 $103

22.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,283 A$1,846

$1,907 $1,907

-32.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,346 A$1,938

$1,274 $1,274

5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,924 A$2,769

$3,664 $3,664

-47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,630 A$2,345

$2,538 $2,538

-35.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,041 A$8,692

$7,614 $7,614

-20.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,705 A$6,770

$3,157 $3,157

49.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.79

-13.99%

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

Last update for Denver: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Denver

$1.3K 50.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 5.4% $72

Groceries & Markets

Denver

$375 14.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8% $30

Eating Out

Denver

$296 11.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.6% $58

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Denver

$295 11.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 21.3% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Denver

$156 5.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 18.2% $28

Getting Around

Denver

$112 4.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 47.4% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Denver

$86 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,283 in Denver and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95.0 in Denver vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $375 vs $405, with Denver cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Denver

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:04 5:04 AM

13:04 1:04 PM

16 h behind Denver

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

149

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Denver Austin, TX 14,330 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Denver
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

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

You'd need roughly $4,000 in Denver 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: $1,283 in Denver versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,199 in Denver 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $95.0 in Denver. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,666 in Denver, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Austin, TX but tight or insufficient in Denver. The gap between the two cities makes Austin, TX 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, Denver 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Denver on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.