Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Jacksonville, NC and in Austin, TX: $2,554 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

Jacksonville, NC, United States
Austin, TX, United States
Jacksonville, NC
🇺🇸 United States
$2,554
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,554 in Jacksonville, NC versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

  • Jacksonville, NC $2,554
  • Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,595 in Jacksonville, NC versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

  • Jacksonville, NC $3,595
  • Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,637 in Jacksonville, NC versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

  • Jacksonville, NC $4,637
  • Austin, TX $5,454

Monthly costs are close between Jacksonville, NC and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jacksonville, NC 88% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$15.57 $15.57
$20.35 $20.35
-23.49%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$58.9 $58.9
$84.7 $84.7
-30.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.89 $9.89
$12.12 $12.12
-18.40%
Cappuccino
$4.81 $4.81
$5.65 $5.65
-14.87%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.56 $2.56
$3.68 $3.68
-30.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.97 $1.97
$2.36 $2.36
-16.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$4.94 $4.94
$7.87 $7.87
-37.23%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.06 $7.06
$8.82 $8.82
-19.95%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.14 $1.14
2.63%
White Bread (500g)
$4.21 $4.21
$3.69 $3.69
14.09%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$11.08 $11.08
$3.31 $3.31
234.74%
Eggs
$6.04 $6.04
$4.15 $4.15
45.54%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$19.50 $19.50
$12.98 $12.98
50.23%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$17.09 $17.09
$13.86 $13.86
23.30%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$24.53 $24.53
$16.34 $16.34
50.12%
Apples (1kg)
$5.87 $5.87
$4.69 $4.69
25.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.86 $1.86
$1.45 $1.45
28.28%
Oranges (1kg)
$8.23 $8.23
$5.11 $5.11
61.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$6.17 $6.17
$4.52 $4.52
36.50%
Potato (1kg)
$6.88 $6.88
$3.08 $3.08
123.38%
Onion (1kg)
$4.00 $4.00
$2.38 $2.38
68.07%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.77 $2.77
$1.80 $1.80
53.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.04 $2.04
$2.22 $2.22
-8.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.96 $8.96
$9.97 $9.97
-10.13%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.02 $15.02
$15.05 $15.05
-0.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.91 $2.91
-39.52%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.96 $3.96
$3.33 $3.33
18.92%
🚌 Getting Around
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.53 $1.53
$1.22 $1.22
25.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$90.4 $90.4
$40.53 $40.53
123.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.78 $2.78
-8.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.65 $1.65
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$35.39 $35.39
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.91 $0.91
$0.95 $0.95
-4.21%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$27.4K $27.4K
$34.2K $34.2K
-19.95%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$26.8K $26.8K
-3.97%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$174 $174
$223 $223
-21.98%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$76.0 $76.0
$58.5 $58.5
29.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$71.2 $71.2
$71.2 $71.2
0.07%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$31.20 $31.20
$53.0 $53.0
-41.18%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$1.71 $1.71
$16.75 $16.75
-89.79%
Cinema Ticket
$15.59 $15.59
$14.06 $14.06
10.88%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$796 $796
$1,459 $1,459
-45.45%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$21.3K $21.3K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$60.9 $60.9
$52.5 $52.5
16.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.56 $39.56
$42.75 $42.75
-7.46%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$103 $103
$86.4 $86.4
19.00%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$138 $138
$104 $104
33.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,384 $1,384
$2,112 $2,112
-34.45%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,094 $1,094
$1,230 $1,230
-11.12%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,809 $1,809
$3,863 $3,863
-53.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,451 $1,451
$2,407 $2,407
-39.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,049 $2,049
$7,426 $7,426
-72.40%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,833 $1,833
$3,060 $3,060
-40.10%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Jacksonville, NC
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$2,208 $2,208
$5,179 $5,179
-57.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.37
6.82
-6.60%

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

Last update for Jacksonville, NC: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Jacksonville, NC
$1.1K
Austin, TX
$1.2K 12.5% $137
Groceries & Markets
Jacksonville, NC
$555
Austin, TX
$410 26.2% $145
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Jacksonville, NC
$321
Austin, TX
$353 9.8% $31
Eating Out
Jacksonville, NC
$269
Austin, TX
$348 29.5% $79
Clothing & Footwear
Jacksonville, NC
$154
Austin, TX
$128 16.5% $25
Getting Around
Jacksonville, NC
$99 *
Austin, TX
$56 43% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Jacksonville, NC
$62
Austin, TX
$81 30.1% $19

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 $1,384 in Jacksonville, NC and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 2.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $59 in Jacksonville, NC vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $555 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Jacksonville, NC
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
17:21 5:21 PM
16:21 4:21 PM
1 h behind Jacksonville, NC
🌤 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Jacksonville, NC Austin, TX 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Jacksonville, NC
  • 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, NC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Are salaries higher in Jacksonville, NC or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 57% lower in Jacksonville, NC. 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, NC compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,384 in Jacksonville, NC versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Jacksonville, NC and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $796 in Jacksonville, NC versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Jacksonville, NC and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Jacksonville, NC – a meal for two runs $59 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Jacksonville, NC or in Austin, TX?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Jacksonville, NC gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Jacksonville, NC is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.
Should I move to Jacksonville, NC or to Austin, TX?
It comes down to priorities – Jacksonville, NC wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

Jacksonville, NC vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?