Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Harrisburg, PA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Harrisburg, PA: $2,495 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Harrisburg, PA
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Harrisburg, PA Living Index
129

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

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Harrisburg, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,495

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,495 in Harrisburg, PA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Harrisburg, PA $2,495
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,624 in Harrisburg, PA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Harrisburg, PA $3,624
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,752 in Harrisburg, PA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Harrisburg, PA $4,752
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Harrisburg, PA costs roughly 7% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Harrisburg, PA 84% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.34 $13.34

$20.63 $20.63

-35.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.1 $66.1

$84.6 $84.6

-21.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.67 $10.67

$12.07 $12.07

-11.60%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.48 $5.48

-6.20%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$3.80 $3.80

-27.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.47 $2.47

-6.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.13 $5.13

$8.05 $8.05

-36.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$8.88 $8.88

-18.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.29 $1.29

$1.11 $1.11

16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.72 $3.72

6.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 $2.51

$3.37 $3.37

-25.52%

Eggs

$6.41 $6.41

$4.32 $4.32

48.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.93 $14.93

$13.13 $13.13

13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$14.15 $14.15

2.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$16.33 $16.33

15.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.55 $4.55

-3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.46 $1.46

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.56 $5.56

$4.71 $4.71

18.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.28 $5.28

$4.15 $4.15

27.23%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.58 $2.58

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$2.35 $2.35

74.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.77 $1.77

21.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.69 $2.69

$2.14 $2.14

25.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.81 $11.81

$10.10 $10.10

16.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.19 $15.19

-0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.82 $2.82

-10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.13 $5.13

$3.44 $3.44

49.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.54 $1.54

61.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.42 $49.42

$40.99 $40.99

20.57%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.62 $6.62

$2.80 $2.80

136.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.60 $1.60

21.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.47 $39.47

$34.34 $34.34

14.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.94 $0.94

15.96%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.30%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.95%

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

$160 $160

$223 $223

-28.05%

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

$43.79 $43.79

$58.9 $58.9

-25.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$70.6 $70.6

2.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$27.57 $27.57

$57.7 $57.7

-52.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.01 $20.01

$16.53 $16.53

21.05%

Cinema Ticket

$11.17 $11.17

$14.26 $14.26

-21.67%

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

$1,119 $1,119

$1,511 $1,511

-25.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.7K $20.7K

$20.9K $20.9K

-0.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.56 $40.56

$51.3 $51.3

-20.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.10 $32.10

$44.17 $44.17

-27.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 $79.0

$87.0 $87.0

-9.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$104 $104

-4.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,436 $1,436

$1,940 $1,940

-25.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,266 $1,266

$1,316 $1,316

-3.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,072 $2,072

$3,664 $3,664

-43.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,006 $2,006

$2,565 $2,565

-21.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,884 $1,884

$7,354 $7,354

-74.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,803 $1,803

$3,129 $3,129

-42.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,176 $4,176

$5,286 $5,286

-21.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.29

6.79

-7.36%

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

Last update for Harrisburg, PA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Harrisburg, PA

$1.3K 50.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 4% $51

Groceries & Markets

Harrisburg, PA

$453 18.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 10.5% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Harrisburg, PA

$276 11.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 27.4% $76

Eating Out

Harrisburg, PA

$261 10.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 34.2% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Harrisburg, PA

$113 4.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 13.9% $16

Getting Around

Harrisburg, PA

$76 3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 23.5% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Harrisburg, PA

$50 2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 72.8% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,436 in Harrisburg, PA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% 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: $66.0 in Harrisburg, PA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $453 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Harrisburg, PA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:00 9:00 PM

20:00 8:00 PM

1 h behind Harrisburg, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,528

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

Harrisburg, PA Austin, TX 2,190 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Harrisburg, PA
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

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

Harrisburg, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Harrisburg, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $1,436 in Harrisburg, PA 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 $2,495 per month in Harrisburg, PA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Harrisburg, PA runs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Harrisburg, PA 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.

Safety-wise, Harrisburg, PA 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 Harrisburg, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.