Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Galveston, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Galveston, TX: $2,222 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

107

Cost of Living Index in Galveston, TX
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Galveston, TX Living Index
125

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

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Galveston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,222

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,222 in Galveston, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Galveston, TX $2,222
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,215 in Galveston, TX versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Galveston, TX $3,215
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,209 in Galveston, TX versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Galveston, TX $4,209
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Galveston, TX costs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Galveston, TX 63% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.04 $22.04

$20.35 $20.35

8.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.5 $76.5

$84.7 $84.7

-9.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

Cappuccino

$7.95 $7.95

$5.65 $5.65

40.71%

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

$2.84 $2.84

$3.68 $3.68

-22.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.36 $2.36

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 $5.15

$7.87 $7.87

-34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.05 $4.05

$8.82 $8.82

-54.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$1.14 $1.14

-28.95%

White Bread (500g)

$2.56 $2.56

$3.69 $3.69

-30.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.31 $3.31

-15.11%

Eggs

$2.75 $2.75

$4.15 $4.15

-33.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.45 $11.45

$12.98 $12.98

-11.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.54 $9.54

$13.86 $13.86

-31.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 $13.24

$16.34 $16.34

-18.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$4.69 $4.69

16.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.45 $1.45

8.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$5.11 $5.11

-37.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$4.52 $4.52

-16.81%

Potato (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$3.08 $3.08

-30.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.38 $2.38

5.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.22 $2.22

-19.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.91 $9.91

$9.97 $9.97

-0.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.90 $10.90

$15.05 $15.05

-27.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.91 $2.91

-38.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.33 $3.33

-46.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 $1.22

59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.77 $32.77

$40.53 $40.53

-19.15%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.90 $9.90

$2.78 $2.78

256.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.65 $1.65

10.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.6 $60.6

$35.39 $35.39

71.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-21.50%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.49%

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

$176 $176

$223 $223

-21.00%

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

$42.42 $42.42

$58.5 $58.5

-27.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.79 $39.79

$71.2 $71.2

-44.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.89 $34.89

$53.0 $53.0

-34.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 $11.17

$14.06 $14.06

-20.55%

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

$759 $759

$1,459 $1,459

-47.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.2K $18.2K

$21.3K $21.3K

-14.59%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$44.12 $44.12

$52.5 $52.5

-15.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.49 $38.49

$42.75 $42.75

-9.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.4 $73.4

$86.4 $86.4

-15.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$81.1 $81.1

$104 $104

-21.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,186 $1,186

$2,112 $2,112

-43.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,059 $1,059

$1,230 $1,230

-13.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,118 $2,118

$3,863 $3,863

-45.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,579 $1,579

$2,407 $2,407

-34.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,698 $2,698

$7,426 $7,426

-63.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,158 $2,158

$3,060 $3,060

-29.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,045 $4,045

$5,179 $5,179

-21.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.82

-3.67%

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

Last update for Galveston, TX: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Galveston, TX

$1.1K 47.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 16.2% $171

Eating Out

Galveston, TX

$360 16.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 3.4% $12

Groceries & Markets

Galveston, TX

$320 14.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 27.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Galveston, TX

$258 11.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 36.5% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Galveston, TX

$107 4.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 20.4% $22

Getting Around

Galveston, TX

$60 2.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 5.2% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Galveston, TX

$57 2.6%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 41.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,186 in Galveston, TX and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 28% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $77 in Galveston, TX vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $320 vs $410 per month, with Galveston, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Galveston, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:07 9:07 PM

Same time as Galveston, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

53,695

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Galveston, TX Austin, TX 300 km

From you

Galveston, TX
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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

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

Galveston, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Galveston, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 22% lower in Galveston, 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: $1,186 in Galveston, TX versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,222 per month in Galveston, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Galveston, TX is about 15% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Galveston, TX runs roughly 19% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Galveston, TX gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Galveston, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.