Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hamilton, MT and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Hamilton, MT: $2,151 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

104

Cost of Living Index in Hamilton, MT
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Hamilton, MT Living Index
129

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

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Hamilton, MT

🇺🇸 United States

$2,151

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,151 in Hamilton, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Hamilton, MT $2,151
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,548 in Hamilton, MT versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Hamilton, MT $3,548
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,944 in Hamilton, MT versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Hamilton, MT $4,944
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Hamilton, MT costs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hamilton, MT 59% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$37.24 $37.24

$20.63 $20.63

80.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.6 $68.6

$84.6 $84.6

-18.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.45 $11.45

$12.07 $12.07

-5.14%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$5.48 $5.48

-4.01%

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

$2.71 $2.71

$3.80 $3.80

-28.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.47 $2.47

-18.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.05 $8.05

-24.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.19 $7.19

$8.88 $8.88

-19.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.11 $1.11

-3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.47 $3.47

$3.72 $3.72

-6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$3.37 $3.37

16.62%

Eggs

$4.28 $4.28

$4.32 $4.32

-0.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$13.13 $13.13

7.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.10 $12.10

$14.15 $14.15

-14.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$16.33 $16.33

-0.24%

Apples (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$4.55 $4.55

34.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.46 $1.46

-10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.71 $4.71

-7.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.15 $4.15

13.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.58 $2.58

1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.35 $2.35

20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.77 $1.77

23.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.14 $2.14

12.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.30 $10.30

$10.10 $10.10

1.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.19 $15.19

-2.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.82 $2.82

-32.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.67 $3.67

$3.44 $3.44

6.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.54 $1.54

30.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.80 $2.80

17.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.60 $1.60

-3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.65 $33.65

$34.34 $34.34

-2.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.94 $0.94

8.51%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

-25.13%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.14%

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

$201 $201

$223 $223

-9.79%

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

$58.9 $58.9

-0.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.0 $89.0

$70.6 $70.6

26.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.62 $41.62

$57.7 $57.7

-27.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 $12.05

$14.26 $14.26

-15.50%

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

$1,308 $1,308

$1,511 $1,511

-13.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.6K $25.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

22.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$51.3 $51.3

2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.30 $46.30

$44.17 $44.17

4.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 $90.0

$87.0 $87.0

3.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$104 $104

8.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 $1,147

$1,940 $1,940

-40.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$717 $717

$1,316 $1,316

-45.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,378 $2,378

$3,664 $3,664

-35.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,826 $1,826

$2,565 $2,565

-28.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,306 $2,306

$7,354 $7,354

-68.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,405 $2,405

$3,129 $3,129

-23.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,556 $3,556

$5,286 $5,286

-32.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.29

6.79

7.36%

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

Last update for Hamilton, MT: 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

Hamilton, MT

$717 33.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 83.7% $600

Eating Out

Hamilton, MT

$459 21.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 23.7% $109

Groceries & Markets

Hamilton, MT

$407 18.9%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 0.2% $0.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hamilton, MT

$349 16.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1% $3.4

Clothing & Footwear

Hamilton, MT

$136 6.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.9% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Hamilton, MT

$66 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 31.2% $21

Getting Around

Hamilton, MT

$19 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 205% $39

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 $1,147 in Hamilton, MT and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 49% 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: $69.0 in Hamilton, MT vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hamilton, MT

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:32 3:32 AM

04:32 4:32 AM

1 h ahead of Hamilton, MT

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

62,447

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

Hamilton, MT Austin, TX 2,270 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Hamilton, 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

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

Hamilton, MT wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Hamilton, MT the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 49% 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: $1,147 in Hamilton, MT versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,308 in Hamilton, MT 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 Hamilton, MT – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,151 in Hamilton, MT versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Hamilton, MT but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Hamilton, 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, Hamilton, 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 Hamilton, MT gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.