Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Herndon, VA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,296 in Herndon, VA, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Herndon, VA
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Herndon, VA Living Index
125

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

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Herndon, VA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,296

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,296 in Herndon, VA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Herndon, VA $3,296
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,928 in Herndon, VA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Herndon, VA $4,928
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,559 in Herndon, VA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Herndon, VA $6,559
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Herndon, VA is roughly 26% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Herndon, VA 142% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.06 $24.06

$20.35 $20.35

18.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$84.7 $84.7

16.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.06 $11.06

$12.12 $12.12

-8.75%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.65 $5.65

2.30%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$3.68 $3.68

-18.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.36 $2.36

6.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$7.87 $7.87

-0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$8.82 $8.82

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.14 $1.14

6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.69 $3.69

13.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.31 $3.31

60.12%

Eggs

$5.17 $5.17

$4.15 $4.15

24.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.93 $16.93

$12.98 $12.98

30.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.90 $15.90

$13.86 $13.86

14.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.78 $18.78

$16.34 $16.34

14.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.69 $4.69

20.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.45 $1.45

30.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$5.11 $5.11

-7.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$4.52 $4.52

25.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.08 $3.08

-9.42%

Onion (1kg)

$3.84 $3.84

$2.38 $2.38

61.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.80 $1.80

32.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.22 $2.22

16.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.62 $9.62

$9.97 $9.97

-3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.30 $16.30

$15.05 $15.05

8.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.91 $2.91

-5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.33 $3.33

-16.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.22 $1.22

101.64%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.55 $30.55

$40.53 $40.53

-24.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.78 $2.78

44.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.65 $1.65

-23.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.39 $25.39

$35.39 $35.39

-28.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$0.95 $0.95

11.58%

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

$32.5K $32.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-5.01%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.37%

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

$164 $164

$223 $223

-26.56%

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

$82.4 $82.4

$58.5 $58.5

40.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$71.2 $71.2

-1.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.6 $55.6

$53.0 $53.0

4.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.08 $10.08

$16.75 $16.75

-39.82%

Cinema Ticket

$16.38 $16.38

$14.06 $14.06

16.50%

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

$1,888 $1,888

$1,459 $1,459

29.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.4K $36.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

70.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 $65.4

$52.5 $52.5

24.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.45 $43.45

$42.75 $42.75

1.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$86.4 $86.4

23.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$125 $125

$104 $104

20.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$2,112 $2,112

1.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,836 $1,836

$1,230 $1,230

49.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,370 $3,370

$3,863 $3,863

-12.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,179 $3,179

$2,407 $2,407

32.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,520 $5,520

$5,179 $5,179

6.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.82

-2.79%

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

Last update for Herndon, VA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Herndon, VA

$1.8K 55.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 33% $605

Groceries & Markets

Herndon, VA

$478 14.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 14.2% $68

Eating Out

Herndon, VA

$374 11.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Herndon, VA

$316 9.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 11.6% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Herndon, VA

$153 4.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 16% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Herndon, VA

$88 2.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 8.1% $7.2

Getting Around

Herndon, VA

$51 1.5%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 11.3% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,135 in Herndon, VA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Herndon, VA pays 7% 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: $99 in Herndon, VA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $478 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Herndon, VA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

13:00 1:00 PM

1 h behind Herndon, VA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,655

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Herndon, VA Austin, TX 2,090 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Herndon, VA
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Herndon, VA. 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 7% higher in Herndon, VA, 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: $2,135 in Herndon, VA 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 $3,296 per month in Herndon, VA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Herndon, VA runs roughly 25% 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 $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Herndon, VA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.