Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Des Plaines, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,020 in Des Plaines, IL, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

145

Cost of Living Index in Des Plaines, IL
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Des Plaines, IL Living Index
125

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

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Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,020

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,020 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Des Plaines, IL $3,020
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,447 in Des Plaines, IL versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Des Plaines, IL $4,447
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,874 in Des Plaines, IL versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Des Plaines, IL $5,874
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Des Plaines, IL is roughly 16% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Des Plaines, IL 122% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.52 $20.52

$20.35 $20.35

0.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.6 $91.6

$84.7 $84.7

8.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.23 $13.23

$12.12 $12.12

9.16%

Cappuccino

$5.69 $5.69

$5.65 $5.65

0.71%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.68 $3.68

-27.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.36 $2.36

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$7.87 $7.87

-12.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.19 $8.19

$8.82 $8.82

-7.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.14 $1.14

-13.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.69 $3.69

-2.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.31 $3.31

31.72%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.15 $4.15

0.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.87 $14.87

$12.98 $12.98

14.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$13.86 $13.86

-2.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 $17.98

$16.34 $16.34

10.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$4.69 $4.69

-2.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.45 $1.45

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.03 $4.03

$5.11 $5.11

-21.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.52 $4.52

6.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.08 $3.08

-13.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.38 $2.38

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.80 $1.80

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.22 $2.22

9.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.74 $10.74

$9.97 $9.97

7.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$15.05 $15.05

-1.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.91 $2.91

-8.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 $3.34

$3.33 $3.33

0.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.22 $1.22

66.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.3 $59.3

$40.53 $40.53

46.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.19 $3.19

$2.78 $2.78

14.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.36 $1.36

$1.65 $1.65

-17.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.67 $24.67

$35.39 $35.39

-30.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.95 $0.95

8.42%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

-11.53%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.43%

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

$194 $194

$223 $223

-12.80%

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

$60.9 $60.9

$58.5 $58.5

4.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.0 $79.0

$71.2 $71.2

11.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$53.0 $53.0

132.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.18 $40.18

$16.75 $16.75

139.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$14.06 $14.06

5.76%

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

$1,664 $1,664

$1,459 $1,459

14.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

10.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.7 $64.7

$52.5 $52.5

23.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$42.75 $42.75

17.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.4 $86.4

17.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

16.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,142 $2,142

$2,112 $2,112

1.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,541 $1,541

$1,230 $1,230

25.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,946 $3,946

$3,863 $3,863

2.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,531 $2,531

$2,407 $2,407

5.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,261 $3,261

$7,426 $7,426

-56.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,479 $2,479

$3,060 $3,060

-18.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,110 $6,110

$5,179 $5,179

17.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.82

-0.44%

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

Last update for Des Plaines, IL: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Des Plaines, IL

$1.5K 51%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 20.1% $310

Groceries & Markets

Des Plaines, IL

$419 13.9%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 2.3% $9.5

Eating Out

Des Plaines, IL

$343 11.3%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 1.6% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Des Plaines, IL

$334 11.1%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 5.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Des Plaines, IL

$153 5.1%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 47% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Des Plaines, IL

$152 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 15.4% $23

Getting Around

Des Plaines, IL

$77 2.6%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 27.1% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,142 in Des Plaines, IL and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Des Plaines, IL pays 18% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $92 in Des Plaines, IL vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $419 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Des Plaines, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:45 12:45 PM

Same time as Des Plaines, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,675

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

Des Plaines, IL Austin, TX 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Des Plaines, IL
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

Des Plaines, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Des Plaines, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Des Plaines, IL, 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: $2,142 in Des Plaines, IL versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,664 in Des Plaines, IL 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $92 in Des Plaines, IL. 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.

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