Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dover, DE and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Dover, DE and in Austin, TX: $2,596 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Dover, DE
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Dover, DE Living Index
130

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

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Dover, DE

🇺🇸 United States

$2,596

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,596 in Dover, DE versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Dover, DE $2,596
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,779 in Dover, DE versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Dover, DE $3,779
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,962 in Dover, DE versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Dover, DE $4,962
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Dover, DE costs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dover, DE 92% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.03 $13.03

$20.77 $20.77

-37.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 $60.6

$84.6 $84.6

-28.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.33 $10.33

$12.32 $12.32

-16.15%

Cappuccino

$4.96 $4.96

$5.63 $5.63

-11.90%

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

$2.19 $2.19

$3.72 $3.72

-41.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.50 $2.50

-12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.05 $8.05

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.78 $7.78

$9.01 $9.01

-13.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.12 $1.12

-16.07%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.75 $3.75

-23.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.26 $3.26

-21.47%

Eggs

$5.13 $5.13

$4.17 $4.17

23.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$12.90 $12.90

-7.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.59 $14.59

$14.16 $14.16

3.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 $18.99

$16.22 $16.22

17.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.78 $4.78

$4.33 $4.33

10.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.46 $1.46

-25.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$4.51 $4.51

40.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.34 $4.34

25.81%

Potato (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.58 $2.58

16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.35 $2.35

-13.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.78 $1.78

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.22 $2.22

10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.28 $8.28

$9.88 $9.88

-16.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.08 $15.08

-0.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.92 $2.92

-41.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.46 $3.46

43.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.95 $0.95

3.16%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$219 $219

$229 $229

-4.38%

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

$49.42 $49.42

$59.4 $59.4

-16.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$69.9 $69.9

2.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$57.2 $57.2

113.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$17.26 $17.26

$14.28 $14.28

20.87%

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

$704 $704

$1,506 $1,506

-53.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

0.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.69 $46.69

$52.8 $52.8

-11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 $35.71

$43.82 $43.82

-18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$84.8 $84.8

32.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$196 $196

$103 $103

90.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,665 $1,665

$1,907 $1,907

-12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,256 $1,256

$1,274 $1,274

-1.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$3,664 $3,664

-33.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,103 $2,103

$2,538 $2,538

-17.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,039 $2,039

$7,614 $7,614

-73.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,073 $2,073

$3,157 $3,157

-34.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,808 $5,808

$5,121 $5,121

13.42%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.79

-1.03%

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

Last update for Dover, DE: 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

Dover, DE

$1.3K 48.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1.5% $18

Groceries & Markets

Dover, DE

$416 16%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dover, DE

$340 13.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 5.4% $18

Eating Out

Dover, DE

$252 9.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 40.4% $102

Clothing & Footwear

Dover, DE

$176 6.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 27.2% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Dover, DE

$157 6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 45.2% $71

Getting Around

Dover, DE

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

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 $1,665 in Dover, DE and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dover, DE pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61.0 in Dover, DE vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $416 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dover, DE

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:41 1:41 AM

00:41 12:41 AM

1 h behind Dover, DE

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,735

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

Dover, DE Austin, TX 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Dover, DE
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

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

Dover, DE wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dover, DE the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 13% higher in Dover, DE, 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: $1,665 in Dover, DE versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $704 in Dover, DE 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 Dover, DE – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 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. Dover, DE 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.

Expats usually find Dover, DE gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.