Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jacksonville, FL and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Jacksonville, FL and in Austin, TX: $2,538 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

Jacksonville, FL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,538
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,538 in Jacksonville, FL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Jacksonville, FL $2,538
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,864 in Jacksonville, FL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Jacksonville, FL $3,864
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,189 in Jacksonville, FL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Jacksonville, FL $5,189
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Jacksonville, FL costs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jacksonville, FL 88% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.24 $20.24
$20.77 $20.77
-2.55%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$98.1 $98.1
$84.6 $84.6
15.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.42 $11.42
$12.32 $12.32
-7.31%
Cappuccino
$5.41 $5.41
$5.63 $5.63
-3.91%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.04 $3.04
$3.72 $3.72
-18.28%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.27 $2.27
$2.50 $2.50
-9.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.08 $5.08
$8.05 $8.05
-36.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.03 $7.03
$9.01 $9.01
-21.98%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.01 $1.01
$1.12 $1.12
-9.82%
White Bread (500g)
$3.28 $3.28
$3.75 $3.75
-12.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.26 $3.26
14.11%
Eggs
$4.54 $4.54
$4.17 $4.17
8.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$14.19 $14.19
$12.90 $12.90
10.00%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.51 $9.51
$14.16 $14.16
-32.84%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.08 $16.08
$16.22 $16.22
-0.86%
Apples (1kg)
$4.69 $4.69
$4.33 $4.33
8.31%
Banana (1kg)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.46 $1.46
4.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.94 $3.94
$4.51 $4.51
-12.64%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$4.34 $4.34
4.84%
Potato (1kg)
$3.00 $3.00
$2.58 $2.58
16.28%
Onion (1kg)
$3.03 $3.03
$2.35 $2.35
28.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.53 $2.53
$1.78 $1.78
42.13%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.40 $2.40
$2.22 $2.22
8.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.60 $9.60
$9.88 $9.88
-2.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.75 $14.75
$15.08 $15.08
-2.19%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.08 $2.08
$2.92 $2.92
-28.77%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.14 $3.14
$3.46 $3.46
-9.25%
🚌 Getting Around
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.92 $1.92
$1.49 $1.49
28.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$63.4 $63.4
$41.72 $41.72
51.97%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.73 $2.73
-46.52%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.66 $1.66
-29.52%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$13.53 $13.53
$35.30 $35.30
-61.67%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.04 $1.04
$0.95 $0.95
9.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.9K $36.9K
$36.0K $36.0K
2.28%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.0K $26.0K
$27.1K $27.1K
-4.07%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$211 $211
$229 $229
-7.95%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$62.7 $62.7
$59.4 $59.4
5.61%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.9 $68.9
$69.9 $69.9
-1.44%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.52 $41.52
$57.2 $57.2
-27.46%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.38 $6.38
$16.33 $16.33
-60.93%
Cinema Ticket
$14.88 $14.88
$14.28 $14.28
4.20%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,302 $1,302
$1,506 $1,506
-13.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.1K $12.1K
$21.5K $21.5K
-43.75%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.3 $64.3
$52.8 $52.8
21.72%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.06 $48.06
$43.82 $43.82
9.68%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$112 $112
$84.8 $84.8
31.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$151 $151
$103 $103
47.05%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,671 $1,671
$1,907 $1,907
-12.37%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,170 $1,170
$1,274 $1,274
-8.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,613 $2,613
$3,664 $3,664
-28.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,075 $2,075
$2,538 $2,538
-18.24%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,421 $2,421
$7,614 $7,614
-68.20%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,192 $2,192
$3,157 $3,157
-30.56%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jacksonville, FL
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,895 $3,895
$5,121 $5,121
-23.95%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.69
6.79
-1.47%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, FL: 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
Jacksonville, FL
$1.2K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 8.9% $104
Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, FL
$386
Austin, TX
$405 4.9% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, FL
$342
Austin, TX
$358 4.6% $16
Eating Out
Jacksonville, FL
$322
Austin, TX
$354 10% $32
Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, FL
$169
Austin, TX
$128 24.2% $41
Getting Around
Jacksonville, FL
$78
Austin, TX
$59 25.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, FL
$71
Austin, TX
$86 20.4% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,671 in Jacksonville, FL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 31% 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: $98.0 in Jacksonville, FL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $386 vs $405, with Jacksonville, FL cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Jacksonville, FL
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
19:34 7:34 PM
18:34 6:34 PM
1 h behind Jacksonville, FL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
949,611
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jacksonville, FL Austin, TX 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Jacksonville, FL
  • 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
Jacksonville, FL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Jacksonville, FL or Austin, TX?
Jacksonville, FL wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jacksonville, FL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Jacksonville, FL or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 31% 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 Jacksonville, FL compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,671 in Jacksonville, FL 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 Jacksonville, FL compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,538 per month in Jacksonville, FL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Jacksonville, FL compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Jacksonville, FL runs roughly 52% 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 $2,000/month in Jacksonville, FL or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Jacksonville, FL is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Jacksonville, FL or Austin, TX?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Jacksonville, FL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% 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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