Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jefferson City, MO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Jefferson City, MO: $1,853 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Jefferson City, MO
Learn more

Jefferson City, MO Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$1,853

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Jefferson City, MO $1,853
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,907 in Jefferson City, MO versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Jefferson City, MO $2,907
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,962 in Jefferson City, MO versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Jefferson City, MO $3,962
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Jefferson City, MO costs roughly 30% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jefferson City, MO 37% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.07 $15.07

$20.77 $20.77

-27.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.75 $40.75

$84.6 $84.6

-51.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.97 $9.97

$12.32 $12.32

-19.07%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$5.63 $5.63

-5.15%

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

$2.04 $2.04

$3.72 $3.72

-45.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.50 $2.50

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$8.05 $8.05

-32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.67 $6.67

$9.01 $9.01

-25.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.12 $1.12

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.75 $3.75

-10.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.26 $3.26

35.89%

Eggs

$4.18 $4.18

$4.17 $4.17

0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$12.90 $12.90

-64.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.94 $9.94

$14.16 $14.16

-29.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 $13.34

$16.22 $16.22

-17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.33 $4.33

1.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.51 $4.51

-4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.34 $4.34

-0.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.58 $2.58

18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.35 $2.35

40.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.78 $1.78

34.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.22 $2.22

-12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.12 $8.12

$9.88 $9.88

-17.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.34 $12.34

$15.08 $15.08

-18.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.92 $2.92

-33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.46 $3.46

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.49 $1.49

104.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.56 $2.56

$2.73 $2.73

-6.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.66 $1.66

-26.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$61.1 $61.1

$35.30 $35.30

73.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$0.95 $0.95

-10.53%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-1.55%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.29%

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

$201 $201

$229 $229

-12.31%

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

$66.5 $66.5

$59.4 $59.4

11.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.4 $70.4

$69.9 $69.9

0.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$14.28 $14.28

6.16%

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

$1,192 $1,192

$1,506 $1,506

-20.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-0.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$52.8 $52.8

-5.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.77 $43.77

$43.82 $43.82

-0.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$84.8 $84.8

22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$126 $126

$103 $103

22.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$880 $880

$1,907 $1,907

-53.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$705 $705

$1,274 $1,274

-44.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,777 $1,777

$3,664 $3,664

-51.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$2,538 $2,538

-37.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,541 $1,541

$7,614 $7,614

-79.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,732 $1,732

$3,157 $3,157

-45.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,918 $1,918

$5,121 $5,121

-62.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.79

-3.39%

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

Last update for Jefferson City, MO: 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

Jefferson City, MO

$705 38.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 80.7% $569

Groceries & Markets

Jefferson City, MO

$341 18.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 18.6% $63

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jefferson City, MO

$338 18.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 6.1% $21

Eating Out

Jefferson City, MO

$272 14.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 30.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Jefferson City, MO

$146 7.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 12.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Jefferson City, MO

$30 * 1.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 183% $55

Getting Around

Jefferson City, MO

$21 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 182% $38

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 $880 in Jefferson City, MO and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 167% 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: $41.00 in Jefferson City, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $341 vs $405 per month, with Jefferson City, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jefferson City, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

Same time as Jefferson City, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

43,079

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

Jefferson City, MO Austin, TX 1,050 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Jefferson City, MO
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

Jefferson City, MO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jefferson City, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jefferson City, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 167% 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: $880 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,192 in Jefferson City, MO versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Jefferson City, MO – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,853 in Jefferson City, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Jefferson City, MO but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jefferson City, MO 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, Jefferson City, MO 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 Jefferson City, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.