Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Franklin, TN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,159 in Franklin, TN, rent and utilities included – about $6,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Franklin, TN outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

160

Cost of Living Index in Franklin, TN
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Franklin, TN Living Index
130

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

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Franklin, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$3,159

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,159 in Franklin, TN versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Franklin, TN $3,159
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,404 in Franklin, TN versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Franklin, TN $4,404
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,649 in Franklin, TN versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Franklin, TN $5,649
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Franklin, TN is roughly 19% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Franklin, TN 134% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.93 $23.93

$20.77 $20.77

15.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.0 $87.0

$84.6 $84.6

2.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.89 $11.89

$12.32 $12.32

-3.49%

Cappuccino

$7.10 $7.10

$5.63 $5.63

26.11%

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

$3.34 $3.34

$3.72 $3.72

-10.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.50 $2.50

-8.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.47 $7.47

$8.05 $8.05

-7.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.01 $9.01

-10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.75 $3.75

2.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$5.58 $5.58

$4.17 $4.17

33.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.59 $15.59

$12.90 $12.90

20.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.82 $17.82

$14.16 $14.16

25.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.33 $4.33

-13.16%

Banana (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.46 $1.46

36.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.58 $2.58

-22.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.35 $2.35

-6.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.78 $1.78

37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

Wine (Bottle)

$12.95 $12.95

$15.08 $15.08

-14.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.49 $1.49

-32.21%

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)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.95 $0.95

-10.53%

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)

$214 $214

$229 $229

-6.34%

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

$115 $115

$59.4 $59.4

93.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$91.0 $91.0

$69.9 $69.9

30.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.10 $44.10

$57.2 $57.2

-22.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$15.91 $15.91

$14.28 $14.28

11.41%

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

$395 $395

$1,506 $1,506

-73.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$101 $101

$52.8 $52.8

91.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.8 $64.8

$43.82 $43.82

47.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 $75.2

$84.8 $84.8

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$103 $103

6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,060 $2,060

$1,907 $1,907

7.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$1,274 $1,274

43.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,544 $3,544

$3,664 $3,664

-3.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,705 $2,705

$2,538 $2,538

6.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,825 $2,825

$7,614 $7,614

-62.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,801 $2,801

$3,157 $3,157

-11.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,994 $5,994

$5,121 $5,121

17.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.79

-2.95%

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

Last update for Franklin, TN: 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

Franklin, TN

$1.8K 57.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 30.2% $552

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Franklin, TN

$421 13.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 14.8% $62

Eating Out

Franklin, TN

$388 12.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 8.8% $34

Groceries & Markets

Franklin, TN

$287 * 9.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 41% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Franklin, TN

$158 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 18.9% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Franklin, TN

$76 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13% $9.9

Getting Around

Franklin, TN

$4.1 * 0.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 1349% $55

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 $2,060 in Franklin, TN and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Franklin, TN pays 17% 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: $87.0 in Franklin, TN vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $287 vs $405, with Franklin, TN cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Franklin, TN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

Same time as Franklin, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,454

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

Franklin, TN Austin, TX 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Franklin, TN
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Franklin, TN. 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 17% higher in Franklin, TN, 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: $2,060 in Franklin, TN versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $395 in Franklin, TN 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $87.0 in Franklin, TN. 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Franklin, TN 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Franklin, TN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.