Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Houston, TX and in Austin, TX: $2,702 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

132

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

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

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Houston, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,702

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,702 in Houston, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Houston, TX $2,702
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,900 in Houston, TX versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Houston, TX $3,900
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,099 in Houston, TX versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Houston, TX $5,099
Austin, TX $5,603

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.09 $21.09

$20.77 $20.77

1.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$84.6 $84.6

-10.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.32 $12.32

-19.81%

Cappuccino

$5.26 $5.26

$5.63 $5.63

-6.57%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.72 $3.72

-29.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.50 $2.50

-6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.88 $5.88

$8.05 $8.05

-26.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.01 $9.01

-10.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.12 $1.12

-21.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.75 $3.75

-10.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.26 $3.26

29.45%

Eggs

$3.49 $3.49

$4.17 $4.17

-16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.27 $11.27

$12.90 $12.90

-12.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.80 $12.80

$14.16 $14.16

-9.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.37 $16.37

$16.22 $16.22

0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.33 $4.33

-6.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.46 $1.46

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$4.51 $4.51

-33.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$4.34 $4.34

-10.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.58 $2.58

-18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.35 $2.35

14.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.78 $1.78

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.22 $2.22

13.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.59 $9.59

$9.88 $9.88

-2.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$15.08 $15.08

-1.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.92 $2.92

-12.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.46 $3.46

-12.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.49 $1.49

-14.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$76.1 $76.1

$41.72 $41.72

82.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.73 $2.73

8.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.66 $1.66

-10.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.80 $23.80

$35.30 $35.30

-32.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.20%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-0.56%

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

$199 $199

$229 $229

-12.97%

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

$63.3 $63.3

$59.4 $59.4

6.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.1 $77.1

$69.9 $69.9

10.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.26 $39.26

$57.2 $57.2

-31.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.92 $20.92

$16.33 $16.33

28.11%

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$14.28 $14.28

7.07%

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

$2,215 $2,215

$1,506 $1,506

47.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.2K $22.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

3.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.72 $49.72

$52.8 $52.8

-5.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.52 $46.52

$43.82 $43.82

6.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$84.8 $84.8

24.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$93.8 $93.8

$103 $103

-8.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,658 $1,658

$1,907 $1,907

-13.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,362 $1,362

$1,274 $1,274

6.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,036 $3,036

$3,664 $3,664

-17.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,155 $2,155

$2,538 $2,538

-15.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,354 $2,354

$7,614 $7,614

-69.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,848 $1,848

$3,157 $3,157

-41.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,449 $4,449

$5,121 $5,121

-13.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.79

-1.33%

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

Last update for Houston, TX: October 13, 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, TX

$1.4K 50.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 6.5% $88

Groceries & Markets

Houston, TX

$378 14%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 7% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Houston, TX

$340 12.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 5.5% $19

Eating Out

Houston, TX

$327 12.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 8.3% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Houston, TX

$133 4.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.8% $5.1

Getting Around

Houston, TX

$92 3.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 35.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Houston, TX

$70 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 22.8% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,658 in Houston, TX and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Houston, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $405 per month, with Houston, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Houston, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:51 2:51 AM

Same time as Houston, TX

🌤 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, TX Austin, TX 240 km

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Houston, TX. 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 15% 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: $1,658 in Houston, TX versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,702 per month in Houston, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 82% less than in Houston, 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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

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