Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Edwardsville, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Edwardsville, IL and in Austin, TX: $2,709 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Edwardsville, IL
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Edwardsville, IL Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Edwardsville, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,709

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,709 in Edwardsville, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Edwardsville, IL $2,709
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,793 in Edwardsville, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Edwardsville, IL $3,793
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,877 in Edwardsville, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Edwardsville, IL $4,877
Austin, TX $5,622

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Edwardsville, IL 100% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.46 $21.46

$20.63 $20.63

4.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.4 $66.4

$84.6 $84.6

-21.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 $11.60

$12.07 $12.07

-3.89%

Cappuccino

$5.07 $5.07

$5.48 $5.48

-7.48%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$3.80 $3.80

-25.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.47 $2.47

-19.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$8.05 $8.05

-32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.62 $7.62

$8.88 $8.88

-14.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.11 $1.11

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.72 $3.72

-9.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$3.37 $3.37

38.28%

Eggs

$4.54 $4.54

$4.32 $4.32

5.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.73 $11.73

$13.13 $13.13

-10.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.06 $12.06

$14.15 $14.15

-14.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$16.33 $16.33

-10.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.55 $4.55

-5.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.46 $1.46

21.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$4.71 $4.71

-15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.15 $4.15

7.71%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.58 $2.58

19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.35 $2.35

17.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.77 $1.77

36.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.14 $2.14

-1.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.04 $9.04

$10.10 $10.10

-10.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.27 $16.27

$15.19 $15.19

7.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.82 $2.82

-33.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.44 $3.44

8.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.54 $1.54

27.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$101 $101

$40.99 $40.99

146.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.80 $2.80

19.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.60 $1.60

16.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$34.34 $34.34

-14.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.94 $0.94

4.26%

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

$29.9K $29.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-12.08%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.88%

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

$196 $196

$223 $223

-11.94%

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

$57.4 $57.4

$58.9 $58.9

-2.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.6 $69.6

$70.6 $70.6

-1.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.56 $41.56

$57.7 $57.7

-27.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$15.46 $15.46

$14.26 $14.26

8.42%

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

$1,426 $1,426

$1,511 $1,511

-5.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

19.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$51.3 $51.3

1.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.41 $41.41

$44.17 $44.17

-6.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.3 $89.3

$87.0 $87.0

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$104 $104

11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,824 $1,824

$1,940 $1,940

-5.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,340 $1,340

$1,316 $1,316

1.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,366 $2,366

$3,664 $3,664

-35.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,919 $1,919

$2,565 $2,565

-25.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,030 $3,030

$7,354 $7,354

-58.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,373 $2,373

$3,129 $3,129

-24.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,962 $4,962

$5,286 $5,286

-6.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Edwardsville, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Edwardsville, IL

$1.3K 49.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 1.7% $23

Groceries & Markets

Edwardsville, IL

$389 14.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 4.3% $17

Eating Out

Edwardsville, IL

$329 12.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 6.4% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Edwardsville, IL

$323 11.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 9% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Edwardsville, IL

$135 5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.2% $5.6

Getting Around

Edwardsville, IL

$122 4.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 52.3% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Edwardsville, IL

$72 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 19% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,824 in Edwardsville, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 7% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $66.0 in Edwardsville, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $406 per month, with Edwardsville, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Edwardsville, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:09 1:09 AM

Same time as Edwardsville, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,808

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Edwardsville, IL Austin, TX 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Edwardsville, 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

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

On paper, salaries run 7% 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: $1,824 in Edwardsville, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,426 in Edwardsville, IL versus $1,511 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 $66.0 in Edwardsville, 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.

Safety-wise, Edwardsville, IL 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, Edwardsville, IL on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.