Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Johnson City, TN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Johnson City, TN: $2,138 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Johnson City, TN
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Johnson City, TN Living Index
125

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

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Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,138

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,138 in Johnson City, TN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Johnson City, TN $2,138
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,133 in Johnson City, TN versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Johnson City, TN $3,133
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,129 in Johnson City, TN versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Johnson City, TN $4,129
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Johnson City, TN costs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Johnson City, TN 57% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.78 $13.78

$20.35 $20.35

-32.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.9 $53.9

$84.7 $84.7

-36.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.12 $12.12

-18.48%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.65 $5.65

-9.03%

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

$2.88 $2.88

$3.68 $3.68

-21.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.36 $2.36

-13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$7.87 $7.87

-37.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$8.82 $8.82

-31.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.14 $1.14

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.69 $3.69

1.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$3.31 $3.31

19.94%

Eggs

$3.11 $3.11

$4.15 $4.15

-25.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.53 $7.53

$12.98 $12.98

-41.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.67 $13.67

$13.86 $13.86

-1.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$16.34 $16.34

-19.89%

Apples (1kg)

$7.59 $7.59

$4.69 $4.69

61.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.45 $1.45

19.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.10 $4.10

$5.11 $5.11

-19.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.52 $4.52

-19.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.08 $3.08

10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.38 $2.38

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.80 $1.80

22.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.22 $2.22

6.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.97 $9.97

-9.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.14 $13.14

$15.05 $15.05

-12.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.61 $1.61

$2.91 $2.91

-44.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.33 $3.33

32.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.22 $1.22

-20.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$25.13 $25.13

$40.53 $40.53

-38.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.58 $5.58

$2.78 $2.78

100.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 $1.44

$1.65 $1.65

-12.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$15.19 $15.19

$35.39 $35.39

-57.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.95 $0.95

-12.63%

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

$30.0K $30.0K

$34.2K $34.2K

-12.27%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-7.67%

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

$172 $172

$223 $223

-22.79%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$58.5 $58.5

-11.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.5 $62.5

$71.2 $71.2

-12.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.20 $47.20

$53.0 $53.0

-11.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.14 $20.14

$16.75 $16.75

20.24%

Cinema Ticket

$11.88 $11.88

$14.06 $14.06

-15.50%

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

$1,185 $1,185

$1,459 $1,459

-18.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.6K $14.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

-31.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$37.41 $37.41

$52.5 $52.5

-28.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.80 $30.80

$42.75 $42.75

-27.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$86.4 $86.4

1.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.4 $94.4

$104 $104

-9.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,178 $1,178

$2,112 $2,112

-44.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$980 $980

$1,230 $1,230

-20.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,992 $1,992

$3,863 $3,863

-48.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$2,407 $2,407

-32.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,444 $2,444

$7,426 $7,426

-67.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,033 $2,033

$3,060 $3,060

-33.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,584 $3,584

$5,179 $5,179

-30.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.82

-4.84%

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

Last update for Johnson City, TN: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Johnson City, TN

$980 45.9%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 25.5% $250

Groceries & Markets

Johnson City, TN

$388 18.1%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 5.6% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Johnson City, TN

$287 13.4%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 23.1% $66

Eating Out

Johnson City, TN

$258 12.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 35% $90

Clothing & Footwear

Johnson City, TN

$113 5.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 14.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Johnson City, TN

$71 3.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 14.4% $10

Getting Around

Johnson City, TN

$42 2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 35.1% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,178 in Johnson City, TN and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 44% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $54 in Johnson City, TN vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $388 vs $410 per month, with Johnson City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Johnson City, TN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:04 3:04 PM

14:04 2:04 PM

1 h behind Johnson City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

66,027

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Johnson City, TN Austin, TX 1,580 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Johnson City, TN
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

Johnson City, TN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Johnson City, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Johnson City, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 31% lower in Johnson City, TN. 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: $1,178 in Johnson City, TN 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 $2,138 per month in Johnson City, TN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Johnson City, TN runs roughly 38% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

At $2,138 in Johnson City, TN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Johnson City, TN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Johnson City, TN 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.

Expats usually find Johnson City, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.