Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Houston, MO and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Houston, MO and in Austin, TX: $2,699 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

132

Cost of Living Index in Houston, MO
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Houston, MO Living Index
130

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

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Houston, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,699

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,699 in Houston, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Houston, MO $2,699
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,960 in Houston, MO versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Houston, MO $3,960
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,221 in Houston, MO versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Houston, MO $5,221
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Houston, MO is roughly 1% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Houston, MO 100% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.08 $18.08

$20.77 $20.77

-12.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.5 $77.5

$84.6 $84.6

-8.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.09 $12.09

$12.32 $12.32

-1.87%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.63 $5.63

-7.99%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.72 $3.72

-34.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.50 $2.50

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.60 $5.60

$8.05 $8.05

-30.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.20 $7.20

$9.01 $9.01

-20.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.24 $1.24

$1.12 $1.12

10.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.75 $3.75

1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$3.26 $3.26

75.15%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$4.17 $4.17

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.29 $13.29

$12.90 $12.90

3.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.41 $15.41

$14.16 $14.16

8.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.59 $20.59

$16.22 $16.22

26.94%

Apples (1kg)

$8.21 $8.21

$4.33 $4.33

89.61%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.46 $1.46

63.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.51 $4.51

23.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.26 $5.26

$4.34 $4.34

21.20%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.58 $2.58

67.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$2.35 $2.35

111.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.78 $1.78

58.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.22 $2.22

27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.24 $8.24

$9.88 $9.88

-16.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.08 $15.08

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.92 $2.92

-3.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.46 $3.46

-6.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.49 $1.49

27.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.73 $2.73

24.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.66 $1.66

-4.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.87 $39.87

$35.30 $35.30

12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.89%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-9.52%

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

$244 $244

$229 $229

6.38%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$59.4 $59.4

14.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.7 $74.7

$69.9 $69.9

6.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.02 $44.02

$57.2 $57.2

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$13.93 $13.93

$14.28 $14.28

-2.45%

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

$1,425 $1,425

$1,506 $1,506

-5.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.6K $23.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

10.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.8 $58.8

$52.8 $52.8

11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.41 $39.41

$43.82 $43.82

-10.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.1 $87.1

$84.8 $84.8

2.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$103 $103

15.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$1,907 $1,907

-29.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,292 $1,292

$1,274 $1,274

1.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,488 $2,488

$3,664 $3,664

-32.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 $2,150

$2,538 $2,538

-15.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,726 $2,726

$7,614 $7,614

-64.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,291 $2,291

$3,157 $3,157

-27.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.79

-1.03%

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

Last update for Houston, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Houston, MO

$1.3K 47.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Houston, MO

$490 18.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 17.5% $86

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, MO

$387 14.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 7.3% $28

Eating Out

Houston, MO

$302 11.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 17.1% $52

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, MO

$137 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6.6% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, MO

$72 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 19.4% $14

Getting Around

Houston, MO

$19 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 209% $40

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 $1,347 in Houston, MO and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $78.0 in Houston, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $490 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

Same time as Houston, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,304,580

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Houston, MO Austin, TX 950 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Houston, MO
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

Houston, MO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

You'd need roughly $4,049 in Houston, MO and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,347 in Houston, MO versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,425 in Houston, MO versus $1,506 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 $78.0 in Houston, MO. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Houston, MO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.