Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntsville, AL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Huntsville, AL: $2,237 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Huntsville, AL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,237
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,237 in Huntsville, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Huntsville, AL $2,237
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,297 in Huntsville, AL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Huntsville, AL $3,297
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,358 in Huntsville, AL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Huntsville, AL $4,358
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Huntsville, AL costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Huntsville, AL 66% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.19 $17.19
$20.77 $20.77
-17.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.3 $74.3
$84.6 $84.6
-12.19%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.14 $11.14
$12.32 $12.32
-9.58%
Cappuccino
$4.91 $4.91
$5.63 $5.63
-12.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.41 $2.41
$3.72 $3.72
-35.22%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.83 $1.83
$2.50 $2.50
-26.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 $6.10
$8.05 $8.05
-24.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.28 $7.28
$9.01 $9.01
-19.20%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.12 $1.12
-22.32%
White Bread (500g)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.75 $3.75
-22.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.69 $2.69
$3.26 $3.26
-17.48%
Eggs
$4.51 $4.51
$4.17 $4.17
8.15%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.65 $9.65
$12.90 $12.90
-25.19%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.86 $9.86
$14.16 $14.16
-30.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$14.22 $14.22
$16.22 $16.22
-12.33%
Apples (1kg)
$3.86 $3.86
$4.33 $4.33
-10.85%
Banana (1kg)
$1.33 $1.33
$1.46 $1.46
-8.90%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.43 $3.43
$4.51 $4.51
-23.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.04 $3.04
$4.34 $4.34
-29.95%
Potato (1kg)
$2.61 $2.61
$2.58 $2.58
1.16%
Onion (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$2.35 $2.35
-7.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.20 $2.20
$1.78 $1.78
23.60%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.91 $1.91
$2.22 $2.22
-13.96%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.33 $8.33
$9.88 $9.88
-15.69%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.78 $13.78
$15.08 $15.08
-8.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.92 $2.92
-43.15%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.24 $3.24
$3.46 $3.46
-6.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.49 $1.49
32.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$60.3 $60.3
$41.72 $41.72
44.56%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.32 $4.32
$2.73 $2.73
58.24%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.88 $1.88
$1.66 $1.66
13.25%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$32.06 $32.06
$35.30 $35.30
-9.18%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$0.95 $0.95
-1.05%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.1K $34.1K
$36.0K $36.0K
-5.47%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.0K $25.0K
$27.1K $27.1K
-7.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$170 $170
$229 $229
-25.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$65.4 $65.4
$59.4 $59.4
10.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.4 $72.4
$69.9 $69.9
3.53%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$54.0 $54.0
$57.2 $57.2
-5.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.33 $18.33
$16.33 $16.33
12.25%
Cinema Ticket
$11.98 $11.98
$14.28 $14.28
-16.11%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,540 $1,540
$1,506 $1,506
2.29%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$8,462 $8,462
$21.5K $21.5K
-60.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$74.5 $74.5
$52.8 $52.8
41.09%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$52.2 $52.2
$43.82 $43.82
19.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.6 $87.6
$84.8 $84.8
3.28%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$173 $173
$103 $103
67.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,404 $1,404
$1,907 $1,907
-26.40%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$973 $973
$1,274 $1,274
-23.66%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,160 $2,160
$3,664 $3,664
-41.07%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,542 $1,542
$2,538 $2,538
-39.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,125 $2,125
$7,614 $7,614
-72.10%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,848 $1,848
$3,157 $3,157
-41.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Huntsville, AL
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,442 $4,442
$5,121 $5,121
-13.26%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.65
6.79
-2.06%

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

Last update for Huntsville, AL: 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
Huntsville, AL
$973
Austin, TX
$1.3K 31% $301
Groceries & Markets
Huntsville, AL
$330
Austin, TX
$405 22.6% $75
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Huntsville, AL
$308
Austin, TX
$358 16.3% $50
Eating Out
Huntsville, AL
$292
Austin, TX
$354 21.2% $62
Clothing & Footwear
Huntsville, AL
$174
Austin, TX
$128 26.5% $46
Getting Around
Huntsville, AL
$82
Austin, TX
$59 28.3% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Huntsville, AL
$78
Austin, TX
$86 10% $7.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,404 in Huntsville, AL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% 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: $74.0 in Huntsville, AL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $330 vs $405 per month, with Huntsville, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Huntsville, AL
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
07:23 7:23 AM
07:23 7:23 AM
Same time as Huntsville, AL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
215,006
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Huntsville, AL Austin, TX 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Huntsville, AL
  • 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
Huntsville, AL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Huntsville, AL or Austin, TX?
Huntsville, AL wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Huntsville, AL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Huntsville, AL or in Austin, TX?
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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Huntsville, AL compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,404 in Huntsville, AL versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Huntsville, AL compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,237 per month in Huntsville, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 19% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Huntsville, AL compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Huntsville, AL runs roughly 45% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Huntsville, AL or in Austin, TX?
At $2,237 in Huntsville, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Huntsville, AL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Huntsville, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Huntsville, AL or Austin, TX?
Both work as nomad bases, but Huntsville, AL delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,237 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Huntsville, AL hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Huntsville, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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