Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Durham and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Durham: $2,073 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Durham
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Durham Living Index
129

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

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Durham

🇬🇧 United Kingdom

$2,073

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,073 in Durham versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Durham $2,073
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,286 in Durham versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Durham $3,286
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,498 in Durham versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Durham $4,498
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Durham costs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Durham 55% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.57 £14.79

$20.22 $20.22

-3.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.4 £70.6

$85.0 $85.0

9.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.40 £8.61

$12.35 $12.35

-7.69%

Cappuccino

$4.56 £3.44

$5.47 $5.47

-16.64%

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

$2.54 £1.92

$3.82 $3.82

-33.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 £1.54

$2.50 $2.50

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.08 £4.59

$8.06 $8.06

-24.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.33 £4.03

$8.99 $8.99

-40.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.95 £1.47

$1.13 $1.13

72.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.54 £1.17

$3.78 $3.78

-59.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.03 £2.29

$3.25 $3.25

-6.77%

Eggs

$4.37 £3.30

$4.14 $4.14

5.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.02 £7.57

$13.08 $13.08

-23.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.86 £6.69

$14.31 $14.31

-38.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.35 £16.13

$15.96 $15.96

33.77%

Apples (1kg)

$2.93 £2.21

$4.38 $4.38

-33.11%

Banana (1kg)

$2.53 £1.91

$1.45 $1.45

74.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 £2.08

$4.54 $4.54

-39.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 £3.84

$4.19 $4.19

21.24%

Potato (1kg)

$1.56 £1.18

$2.63 $2.63

-40.68%

Onion (1kg)

$1.70 £1.29

$2.36 $2.36

-27.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.06 £0.80

$1.76 $1.76

-39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 £1.42

$2.16 $2.16

-12.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$23.61 £17.84

$9.81 $9.81

140.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.64 £8.04

$14.72 $14.72

-27.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.31 £2.50

$2.78 $2.78

19.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 £2.38

$3.48 $3.48

-9.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.23 £2.44

$1.49 $1.49

116.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$86.9 £65.7

$40.51 $40.51

114.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.39 £4.83

$2.67 $2.67

139.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 £1.46

$1.58 $1.58

22.15%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.68 £17.89

$35.29 $35.29

-32.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.88 £1.42

$0.99 $0.99

89.90%

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

$37.8K £28.6K

$35.8K $35.8K

5.70%

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

$41.1K £31.1K

$27.2K $27.2K

51.25%

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

$265 £200

$219 $219

20.64%

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

$15.21 £11.49

$58.0 $58.0

-73.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$42.95 £32.45

$68.4 $68.4

-37.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.78 £35.35

$57.9 $57.9

-19.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$12.51 £9.45

$14.13 $14.13

-11.46%

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

$1,300 £982

$1,509 $1,509

-13.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.2K £19.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

17.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$106 £80.3

$51.7 $51.7

105.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.4 £53.9

$44.05 $44.05

62.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 £86.1

$85.1 $85.1

33.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.2 £73.5

$105 $105

-7.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,539 £1,163

$1,932 $1,932

-20.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 £562

$1,272 $1,272

-41.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,661 £2,011

$3,670 $3,670

-27.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 £1,183

$2,525 $2,525

-38.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,034 £3,804

$7,617 $7,617

-33.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,862 £2,919

$3,199 $3,199

20.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,064 £1,559

$5,105 $5,105

-59.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.18

6.79

-23.71%

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

Last update for Durham: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Durham

$743 35.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 71.1% $529

Groceries & Markets

Durham

$348 16.7%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 15.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Durham

$323 15.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 7.1% $23

Eating Out

Durham

$305 14.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 14.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Durham

$175 8.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 26.4% $46

Getting Around

Durham

$116 5.6%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 50.8% $59

Sport & Entertainment

Durham

$72 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 20% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,539 in Durham and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 147% 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: $93.0 in Durham vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $348 vs $403, with Durham cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇬🇧 Durham

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:08 7:08 AM

01:08 1:08 AM

6 h behind Durham

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

42,100

974,447

💱 Currency

British Pound GBP £

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 GBP = 1.32 USD

1 GBP = 1.18 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇬🇧 British Pound (£)

British Pound exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.756 GBP (1 GBP = 1.32 USD). 1 EUR = 0.848 GBP (1 GBP = 1.18 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to GBP in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Durham Austin, TX 7,670 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Durham
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

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

Durham wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Durham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 147% 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: $1,539 in Durham versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,073 per month in Durham versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Durham runs roughly 115% 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 $3,000. Durham 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.

Safety-wise, Durham 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.

Expats usually find Durham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.