Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gaithersburg, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Gaithersburg, MD outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

139

Cost of Living Index in Gaithersburg, MD
Learn more

Gaithersburg, MD Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,885

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,885 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Gaithersburg, MD $2,885
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,150 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Gaithersburg, MD $4,150
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,415 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Gaithersburg, MD $5,415
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Gaithersburg, MD is roughly 8% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gaithersburg, MD 114% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.11 $20.11

$20.77 $20.77

-3.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.7 $90.7

$84.6 $84.6

7.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.90 $6.90

$12.32 $12.32

-43.99%

Cappuccino

$5.74 $5.74

$5.63 $5.63

1.95%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$3.72 $3.72

-25.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.50 $2.50

-4.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$8.05 $8.05

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.72 $8.72

$9.01 $9.01

-3.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.12 $1.12

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.44 $4.44

$3.75 $3.75

18.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$3.26 $3.26

63.50%

Eggs

$5.19 $5.19

$4.17 $4.17

24.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.77 $17.77

$12.90 $12.90

37.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.82 $15.82

$14.16 $14.16

11.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.18 $19.18

$16.22 $16.22

18.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.33 $4.33

10.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.51 $4.51

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.34 $4.34

26.04%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.58 $2.58

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.35 $2.35

-13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.78 $1.78

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.22 $2.22

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.23 $14.23

$9.88 $9.88

44.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.86 $14.86

$15.08 $15.08

-1.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.92 $2.92

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.46 $3.46

-15.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.04 $4.04

$2.73 $2.73

47.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.66 $1.66

-24.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.37 $25.37

$35.30 $35.30

-28.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 $0.95

9.47%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.39%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.92%

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

$165 $165

$229 $229

-27.94%

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

$52.5 $52.5

$59.4 $59.4

-11.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$69.9 $69.9

-10.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.65 $31.65

$57.2 $57.2

-44.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$17.08 $17.08

$14.28 $14.28

19.61%

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

$1,569 $1,569

$1,506 $1,506

4.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

67.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.4 $56.4

$52.8 $52.8

6.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.25 $36.25

$43.82 $43.82

-17.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$84.8 $84.8

19.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$103 $103

14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,814 $1,814

$1,907 $1,907

-4.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$1,274 $1,274

25.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,401 $2,401

$3,664 $3,664

-34.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,434 $2,434

$2,538 $2,538

-4.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,474 $2,474

$7,614 $7,614

-67.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,606 $2,606

$3,157 $3,157

-17.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,141 $5,141

$5,121 $5,121

0.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Gaithersburg, MD: 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

Gaithersburg, MD

$1.6K 55.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 20.2% $323

Groceries & Markets

Gaithersburg, MD

$464 16.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 12.9% $60

Eating Out

Gaithersburg, MD

$328 11.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 8.1% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gaithersburg, MD

$280 9.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 28% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Gaithersburg, MD

$140 4.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Gaithersburg, MD

$66 2.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 30.4% $20

Getting Around

Gaithersburg, MD

$10 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 468% $48

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 $1,814 in Gaithersburg, MD and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Gaithersburg, MD pays 0% 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: $91.0 in Gaithersburg, MD vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $464 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Gaithersburg, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:34 6:34 PM

17:34 5:34 PM

1 h behind Gaithersburg, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

69,657

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

Gaithersburg, MD Austin, TX 2,110 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Gaithersburg, MD
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Gaithersburg, MD. 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 0% higher in Gaithersburg, MD, 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: $1,814 in Gaithersburg, MD versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,569 in Gaithersburg, MD 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 $91.0 in Gaithersburg, MD. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Gaithersburg, MD. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.