Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Iowa City, IA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Iowa City, IA: $2,368 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

114

Cost of Living Index in Iowa City, IA
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Iowa City, IA Living Index
130

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

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Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,368

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,368 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Iowa City, IA $2,368
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,367 in Iowa City, IA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Iowa City, IA $3,367
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,366 in Iowa City, IA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Iowa City, IA $4,366
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Iowa City, IA costs roughly 11% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Iowa City, IA 75% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.24 $14.24

$20.77 $20.77

-31.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.1 $68.1

$84.6 $84.6

-19.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.74 $8.74

$12.32 $12.32

-29.06%

Cappuccino

$5.78 $5.78

$5.63 $5.63

2.66%

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

$2.76 $2.76

$3.72 $3.72

-25.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.50 $2.50

-13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$8.05 $8.05

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$9.01 $9.01

-24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$1.12 $1.12

-25.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.76 $2.76

$3.75 $3.75

-26.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$3.26 $3.26

-38.04%

Eggs

$3.60 $3.60

$4.17 $4.17

-13.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$12.90 $12.90

-26.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.32 $10.32

$14.16 $14.16

-27.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.56 $20.56

$16.22 $16.22

26.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.33 $4.33

-23.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.46 $1.46

-15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$4.51 $4.51

-39.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.34 $4.34

11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.58 $2.58

-21.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.35 $2.35

0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.78 $1.78

-4.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.22 $2.22

9.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.79 $8.79

$9.88 $9.88

-11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$15.08 $15.08

-12.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.92 $2.92

-39.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.46 $3.46

24.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.96 $15.96

$41.72 $41.72

-61.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.73 $2.73

45.42%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.66 $1.66

19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.23 $43.23

$35.30 $35.30

22.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$0.95 $0.95

5.26%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.01%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.77%

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

$266 $266

$229 $229

15.97%

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

$53.3 $53.3

$59.4 $59.4

-10.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.9 $81.9

$69.9 $69.9

17.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.68 $48.68

$57.2 $57.2

-14.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.82 $19.82

$16.33 $16.33

21.37%

Cinema Ticket

$13.74 $13.74

$14.28 $14.28

-3.78%

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

$1,285 $1,285

$1,506 $1,506

-14.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.7K $23.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

10.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.3 $64.3

$52.8 $52.8

21.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 $50.1

$43.82 $43.82

14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$84.8 $84.8

18.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$103 $103

9.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,179 $1,179

$1,907 $1,907

-38.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,096 $1,096

$1,274 $1,274

-13.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,297 $2,297

$3,664 $3,664

-37.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,671 $1,671

$2,538 $2,538

-34.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,825 $3,825

$7,614 $7,614

-49.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,963 $1,963

$3,157 $3,157

-37.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,701 $3,701

$5,121 $5,121

-27.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.79

-5.01%

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

Last update for Iowa City, IA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Iowa City, IA

$1.1K 46.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 16.3% $178

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Iowa City, IA

$401 16.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 10.6% $43

Groceries & Markets

Iowa City, IA

$350 14.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 15.5% $54

Eating Out

Iowa City, IA

$267 11.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 32.4% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Iowa City, IA

$148 6.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 13.2% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Iowa City, IA

$76 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 12.6% $9.6

Getting Around

Iowa City, IA

$30 * 1.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 96.4% $29

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 $1,179 in Iowa City, IA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% 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: $68.0 in Iowa City, IA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $405 per month, with Iowa City, IA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Iowa City, IA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:50 12:50 PM

Same time as Iowa City, IA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,828

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Iowa City, IA Austin, TX 1,380 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Iowa City, IA
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

Iowa City, IA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Iowa City, IA wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Iowa City, IA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 38% 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: $1,179 in Iowa City, IA 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 $2,368 per month in Iowa City, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 12% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Iowa City, IA runs roughly 161% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,368 in Iowa City, IA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Iowa City, IA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Iowa City, IA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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, Iowa City, IA 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 Iowa City, IA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 12% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.