Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Jersey City, NJ and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,625 in Jersey City, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $12,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

174

Cost of Living Index in Jersey City, NJ
Learn more

Jersey City, NJ Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,625

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,625 in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Jersey City, NJ $3,625
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,285 in Jersey City, NJ versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Jersey City, NJ $5,285
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,944 in Jersey City, NJ versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Jersey City, NJ $6,944
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Jersey City, NJ is roughly 39% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Jersey City, NJ 166% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.75 $24.75

$20.35 $20.35

21.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.7 $98.7

$84.7 $84.7

16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.98 $10.98

$12.12 $12.12

-9.41%

Cappuccino

$5.58 $5.58

$5.65 $5.65

-1.24%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$3.68 $3.68

-39.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.36 $2.36

-34.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 $8.10

$7.87 $7.87

2.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.77 $7.77

$8.82 $8.82

-11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.14 $1.14

16.67%

White Bread (500g)

$4.17 $4.17

$3.69 $3.69

13.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.42 $7.42

$3.31 $3.31

124.17%

Eggs

$5.86 $5.86

$4.15 $4.15

41.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.46 $12.46

$12.98 $12.98

-4.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 $12.03

$13.86 $13.86

-13.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$16.34 $16.34

3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$5.33 $5.33

$4.69 $4.69

13.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.45 $1.45

18.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$5.11 $5.11

20.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.30 $6.30

$4.52 $4.52

39.38%

Potato (1kg)

$5.66 $5.66

$3.08 $3.08

83.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.86 $3.86

$2.38 $2.38

62.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.79 $2.79

$1.80 $1.80

55.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.22 $2.22

33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$9.97 $9.97

19.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.89 $24.89

$15.05 $15.05

65.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.91 $2.91

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.33 $3.33

59.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.22 $1.22

152.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 $87.5

$40.53 $40.53

115.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.78 $2.78

5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.65 $1.65

26.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.92 $23.92

$35.39 $35.39

-32.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.95 $0.95

17.89%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-17.75%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.54%

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

$209 $209

$223 $223

-6.27%

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

$73.0 $73.0

$58.5 $58.5

24.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.2 $66.2

$71.2 $71.2

-7.03%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.8 $55.8

$53.0 $53.0

5.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$43.70 $43.70

$16.75 $16.75

160.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.21 $14.21

$14.06 $14.06

1.07%

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

$2,414 $2,414

$1,459 $1,459

65.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

9.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.18 $41.18

$52.5 $52.5

-21.55%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.6 $57.6

$42.75 $42.75

34.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.7 $76.7

$86.4 $86.4

-11.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$154 $154

$104 $104

48.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,112 $2,112

73.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,073 $2,073

$1,230 $1,230

68.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,889 $5,889

$3,863 $3,863

52.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,397 $3,397

$2,407 $2,407

41.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,299 $8,299

$7,426 $7,426

11.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,602 $5,602

$3,060 $3,060

83.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,101 $6,101

$5,179 $5,179

17.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.82

-1.03%

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

Last update for Jersey City, NJ: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Jersey City, NJ

$2.1K 57.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 40.6% $842

Groceries & Markets

Jersey City, NJ

$490 13.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 16.3% $80

Eating Out

Jersey City, NJ

$369 10.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 5.7% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Jersey City, NJ

$348 9.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 1.3% $4.4

Clothing & Footwear

Jersey City, NJ

$148 4.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 13.4% $20

Getting Around

Jersey City, NJ

$113 3.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 50.1% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Jersey City, NJ

$84 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 3.6% $3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,670 in Jersey City, NJ and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Jersey City, NJ pays 18% 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: $99 in Jersey City, NJ vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $490 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Jersey City, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:07 7:07 AM

06:07 6:07 AM

1 h behind Jersey City, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

292,449

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Jersey City, NJ Austin, TX 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Jersey City, NJ
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

Jersey City, NJ vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Jersey City, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 18% higher in Jersey City, NJ, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $3,670 in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,625 per month in Jersey City, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 28% less than in Jersey City, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.