Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houghton, MI and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Houghton, MI and in Austin, TX: $2,736 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

124

Cost of Living Index in Houghton, MI
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Houghton, MI Living Index
129

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

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Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,736

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,736 in Houghton, MI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Houghton, MI $2,736
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,593 in Houghton, MI versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Houghton, MI $3,593
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,449 in Houghton, MI versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Houghton, MI $4,449
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Houghton, MI is roughly 1% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houghton, MI 102% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$20.63 $20.63

-33.20%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.55 $39.55

$84.6 $84.6

-53.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.37 $10.37

$12.07 $12.07

-14.08%

Cappuccino

$4.13 $4.13

$5.48 $5.48

-24.64%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$3.80 $3.80

-26.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.47 $2.47

-34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.94 $5.94

$8.05 $8.05

-26.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.38 $7.38

$8.88 $8.88

-16.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.11 $1.11

-9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.72 $3.72

12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.34 $6.34

$3.37 $3.37

88.13%

Eggs

$3.94 $3.94

$4.32 $4.32

-8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.31 $12.31

$13.13 $13.13

-6.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.79 $10.79

$14.15 $14.15

-23.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.97 $10.97

$16.33 $16.33

-32.82%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 $5.09

$4.55 $4.55

11.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.46 $1.46

-19.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.25 $4.25

$4.71 $4.71

-9.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.15 $4.15

14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.58 $2.58

8.53%

Onion (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.35 $2.35

28.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.77 $1.77

24.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.14 $2.14

-31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.18 $10.18

$10.10 $10.10

0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.99 $14.99

$15.19 $15.19

-1.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.82 $2.82

-30.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.44 $3.44

-4.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.54 $1.54

31.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.80 $2.80

7.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.60 $1.60

-6.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.22 $29.22

$34.34 $34.34

-14.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.81 $0.81

$0.94 $0.94

-13.83%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-26.04%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.18%

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

$280 $280

$223 $223

25.89%

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

$57.6 $57.6

$58.9 $58.9

-2.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.1 $69.1

$70.6 $70.6

-2.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.96 $36.96

$57.7 $57.7

-35.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.18 $14.18

$14.26 $14.26

-0.56%

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

$1,249 $1,249

$1,511 $1,511

-17.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K $22.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

9.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$51.3 $51.3

4.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.58 $41.58

$44.17 $44.17

-5.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

0.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$104 $104

3.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,833 $1,833

$1,940 $1,940

-5.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,484 $1,484

$1,316 $1,316

12.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,318 $2,318

$3,664 $3,664

-36.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,967 $1,967

$2,565 $2,565

-23.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,546 $1,546

$7,354 $7,354

-78.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,550 $1,550

$3,129 $3,129

-50.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,603 $2,603

$5,286 $5,286

-50.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Houghton, MI: 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

Houghton, MI

$1.5K 54.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 11.3% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houghton, MI

$407 14.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 13.5% $55

Groceries & Markets

Houghton, MI

$377 13.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 7.6% $29

Eating Out

Houghton, MI

$253 9.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 38.4% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Houghton, MI

$131 4.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 1.3% $1.7

Sport & Entertainment

Houghton, MI

$65 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 32% $21

Getting Around

Houghton, MI

$19 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 212% $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 $1,833 in Houghton, MI and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 103% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $40.00 in Houghton, MI vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $377 vs $406 per month, with Houghton, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houghton, MI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:28 9:28 AM

08:28 8:28 AM

1 h behind Houghton, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Houghton, MI Austin, TX 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Houghton, MI
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

Houghton, MI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Houghton, MI. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 103% 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: $1,833 in Houghton, MI versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,249 in Houghton, MI 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $40.00 in Houghton, MI. 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.

Safety-wise, Houghton, MI 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Houghton, MI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.