Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Great Falls, MT and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Great Falls, MT: $2,215 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Great Falls, MT
Learn more

Great Falls, MT Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,215

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,215 in Great Falls, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Great Falls, MT $2,215
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,051 in Great Falls, MT versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Great Falls, MT $3,051
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,887 in Great Falls, MT versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Great Falls, MT $3,887
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Great Falls, MT costs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Great Falls, MT 63% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.57 $11.57

$20.63 $20.63

-43.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$38.01 $38.01

$84.6 $84.6

-55.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.43 $9.43

$12.07 $12.07

-21.87%

Cappuccino

$4.32 $4.32

$5.48 $5.48

-21.17%

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

$2.29 $2.29

$3.80 $3.80

-39.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.47 $2.47

-20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$8.05 $8.05

-24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.92 $5.92

$8.88 $8.88

-33.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.11 $1.11

-2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.72 $3.72

-11.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$3.37 $3.37

47.48%

Eggs

$3.22 $3.22

$4.32 $4.32

-25.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.73 $16.73

$13.13 $13.13

27.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.69 $9.69

$14.15 $14.15

-31.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.30 $12.30

$16.33 $16.33

-24.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.55 $4.55

9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.46 $1.46

-8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.71 $4.71

-12.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$4.15 $4.15

-47.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.58 $2.58

-5.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.35 $2.35

18.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.77 $1.77

36.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$2.14 $2.14

57.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.44 $8.44

$10.10 $10.10

-16.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.76 $17.76

$15.19 $15.19

16.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.82 $2.82

-27.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.44 $3.44

27.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.60 $29.60

$40.99 $40.99

-27.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.40 $6.40

$2.80 $2.80

128.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.60 $1.60

-13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.76 $40.76

$34.34 $34.34

18.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.94 $0.94

5.32%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-4.36%

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

$24.6K $24.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-8.10%

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

$132 $132

$223 $223

-40.78%

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

$40.11 $40.11

$58.9 $58.9

-31.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.0 $70.0

$70.6 $70.6

-0.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.5 $63.5

$57.7 $57.7

10.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$11.71 $11.71

$14.26 $14.26

-17.88%

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

$903 $903

$1,511 $1,511

-40.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K $14.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

-32.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.83 $24.83

$51.3 $51.3

-51.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 $30.15

$44.17 $44.17

-31.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$87.0 $87.0

-8.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$64.9 $64.9

$104 $104

-37.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$1,940 $1,940

-26.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,131 $1,131

$1,316 $1,316

-14.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,622 $2,622

$3,664 $3,664

-28.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$2,565 $2,565

-36.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$7,354 $7,354

-69.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,209 $2,209

$3,129 $3,129

-29.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,583 $3,583

$5,286 $5,286

-32.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.2

6.79

-8.69%

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

Last update for Great Falls, MT: 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

Great Falls, MT

$1.1K 51.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 16.4% $185

Groceries & Markets

Great Falls, MT

$390 17.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 4.1% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Great Falls, MT

$242 10.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 45.5% $110

Eating Out

Great Falls, MT

$232 10.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 50.8% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Great Falls, MT

$90 4.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 43.6% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Great Falls, MT

$87 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

Great Falls, MT

$43 * 1.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 34.9% $15

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 $1,433 in Great Falls, MT and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 48% 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: $38.00 in Great Falls, MT vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $406 per month, with Great Falls, MT cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Great Falls, MT

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:41 10:41 PM

23:41 11:41 PM

1 h ahead of Great Falls, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,442

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

Great Falls, MT Austin, TX 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Great Falls, MT
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

Great Falls, MT vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Great Falls, MT wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Great Falls, MT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 48% 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: $1,433 in Great Falls, MT versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,215 per month in Great Falls, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Great Falls, MT runs roughly 38% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,215 in Great Falls, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Great Falls, MT but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Great Falls, MT the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Great Falls, MT 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 Great Falls, MT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.