Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Hilton Head Island, SC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Hilton Head Island, SC outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

142

Cost of Living Index in Hilton Head Island, SC
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Hilton Head Island, SC Living Index
125

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

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Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,925

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,925 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,925
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,687 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,687
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,449 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Hilton Head Island, SC $2,449
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Hilton Head Island, SC is roughly 12% more expensive than in Austin, TX.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Hilton Head Island, SC 115% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.92 $19.92

$20.35 $20.35

-2.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$84.7 $84.7

-29.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.29 $11.29

$12.12 $12.12

-6.85%

Cappuccino

$4.97 $4.97

$5.65 $5.65

-12.04%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$3.68 $3.68

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.36 $2.36

-13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$7.87 $7.87

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 $6.07

$8.82 $8.82

-31.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.71 $0.71

$1.14 $1.14

-37.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.69 $3.69

-11.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.31 $3.31

11.48%

Eggs

$2.91 $2.91

$4.15 $4.15

-29.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.72 $8.72

$12.98 $12.98

-32.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.56 $9.56

$13.86 $13.86

-31.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.15 $13.15

$16.34 $16.34

-19.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.69 $4.69

-1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 $1.45

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.87 $3.87

$5.11 $5.11

-24.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.52 $4.52

1.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.08 $3.08

-6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.38 $2.38

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.80 $1.80

40.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.22 $2.22

9.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.05 $9.05

$9.97 $9.97

-9.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$15.05 $15.05

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.91 $2.91

-26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.33 $3.33

-5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.78 $2.78

-44.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.65 $1.65

-31.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.75 $13.75

$35.39 $35.39

-61.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-8.85%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.29%

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

$216 $216

$223 $223

-3.08%

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

$55.1 $55.1

$58.5 $58.5

-5.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.8 $67.8

$71.2 $71.2

-4.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.28 $20.28

$53.0 $53.0

-61.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.54 $14.54

$14.06 $14.06

3.41%

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

$1,294 $1,294

$1,459 $1,459

-11.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.9K $11.9K

$21.3K $21.3K

-44.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$34.48 $34.48

$52.5 $52.5

-34.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.82 $34.82

$42.75 $42.75

-18.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.3 $80.3

$86.4 $86.4

-7.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.4 $71.4

$104 $104

-31.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,151 $2,151

$2,112 $2,112

1.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,769 $1,769

$1,230 $1,230

43.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$3,863 $3,863

-41.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,619 $3,619

$7,426 $7,426

-51.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,538 $3,538

$3,060 $3,060

15.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,451 $3,451

$5,179 $5,179

-33.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Hilton Head Island, SC: 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

Hilton Head Island, SC

$1.8K 60.5%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 30.4% $538

Groceries & Markets

Hilton Head Island, SC

$351 12%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 16.7% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Hilton Head Island, SC

$339 11.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 4% $14

Eating Out

Hilton Head Island, SC

$310 10.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 12.3% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Hilton Head Island, SC

$99 3.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 29.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Hilton Head Island, SC

$49 1.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 64.4% $32

Getting Around

Hilton Head Island, SC

$7.2 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 687% $49

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 $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, SC and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 50% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $60 in Hilton Head Island, SC vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $351 vs $410 per month, with Hilton Head Island, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Hilton Head Island, SC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

1 h behind Hilton Head Island, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,512

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Hilton Head Island, SC Austin, TX 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Hilton Head Island, SC
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

Hilton Head Island, SC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 33% lower in Hilton Head Island, SC. 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: $2,151 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,294 in Hilton Head Island, SC versus $1,459 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 Hilton Head Island, SC – a meal for two runs $60 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

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.