Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elizabeth City, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Elizabeth City, NC: $2,456 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Elizabeth City, NC
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Elizabeth City, NC Living Index
129

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

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Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,456

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,456 in Elizabeth City, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Elizabeth City, NC $2,456
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,522 in Elizabeth City, NC versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Elizabeth City, NC $3,522
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,588 in Elizabeth City, NC versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Elizabeth City, NC $4,588
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Elizabeth City, NC costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elizabeth City, NC 81% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.95 $11.95

$20.63 $20.63

-42.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.93 $34.93

$84.6 $84.6

-58.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.60 $11.60

$12.07 $12.07

-3.89%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$5.48 $5.48

6.57%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$3.80 $3.80

-33.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.14 $6.14

$8.05 $8.05

-23.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.88 $8.88

-20.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 $1.11

-14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.65 $3.65

$3.72 $3.72

-1.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.37 $3.37

-10.98%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$4.32 $4.32

10.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 $10.81

$13.13 $13.13

-17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.01 $10.01

$14.15 $14.15

-29.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.49 $17.49

$16.33 $16.33

7.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.55 $4.55

-3.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.46 $1.46

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.71 $4.71

-6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.15 $4.15

9.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.58 $2.58

-16.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.35 $2.35

-5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.77 $1.77

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.14 $2.14

4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.86 $8.86

$10.10 $10.10

-12.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.19 $15.19

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.82 $2.82

-24.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$3.44 $3.44

-22.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.54 $1.54

17.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.80 $2.80

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.60 $1.60

20.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$18.19 $18.19

$34.34 $34.34

-47.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.94 $0.94

6.38%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-9.97%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.26%

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

$183 $183

$223 $223

-17.78%

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

$56.8 $56.8

$58.9 $58.9

-3.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.6 $59.6

$70.6 $70.6

-15.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.64 $45.64

$57.7 $57.7

-20.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$15.06 $15.06

$14.26 $14.26

5.61%

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

$1,491 $1,491

$1,511 $1,511

-1.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

18.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 $54.7

$51.3 $51.3

6.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$44.17 $44.17

-9.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.8 $87.8

$87.0 $87.0

0.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$143 $143

$104 $104

36.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,584 $1,584

$1,940 $1,940

-18.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,279 $1,279

$1,316 $1,316

-2.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,494 $2,494

$3,664 $3,664

-31.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$2,565 $2,565

-15.64%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,870 $2,870

$7,354 $7,354

-60.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,355 $2,355

$3,129 $3,129

-24.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.79

-2.65%

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

Last update for Elizabeth City, NC: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elizabeth City, NC

$1.3K 52.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 3% $38

Groceries & Markets

Elizabeth City, NC

$373 15.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8.8% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elizabeth City, NC

$299 12.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 17.6% $53

Eating Out

Elizabeth City, NC

$264 10.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 32.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Elizabeth City, NC

$146 6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 11.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Elizabeth City, NC

$76 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13.8% $10

Getting Around

Elizabeth City, NC

$20 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 193% $38

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 $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $35.00 in Elizabeth City, NC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $406 per month, with Elizabeth City, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elizabeth City, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:51 9:51 PM

20:51 8:51 PM

1 h behind Elizabeth City, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,683

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

Elizabeth City, NC Austin, TX 2,100 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Elizabeth City, NC
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

Elizabeth City, NC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elizabeth City, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elizabeth City, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,685 in Elizabeth City, NC and $4,046 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: $1,584 in Elizabeth City, NC versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,491 in Elizabeth City, NC 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 Elizabeth City, NC – a meal for two runs $35.00 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 $3,000. Elizabeth City, NC 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 Elizabeth City, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.