Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Joplin, MO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Joplin, MO: $2,032 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Joplin, MO
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Joplin, MO Living Index
130

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

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Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,032

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,032 in Joplin, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Joplin, MO $2,032
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,801 in Joplin, MO versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Joplin, MO $2,801
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,571 in Joplin, MO versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Joplin, MO $3,571
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Joplin, MO costs roughly 24% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Joplin, MO 50% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.74 $14.74

$20.77 $20.77

-29.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$59.6 $59.6

$84.6 $84.6

-29.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$12.32 $12.32

-13.23%

Cappuccino

$4.59 $4.59

$5.63 $5.63

-18.47%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$3.72 $3.72

-47.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.50 $2.50

-23.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$8.05 $8.05

-39.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$9.01 $9.01

-31.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$1.12 $1.12

-18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.75 $3.75

-25.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$3.26 $3.26

-33.74%

Eggs

$3.30 $3.30

$4.17 $4.17

-20.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.99 $8.99

$12.90 $12.90

-30.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.02 $7.02

$14.16 $14.16

-50.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.27 $17.27

$16.22 $16.22

6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$4.33 $4.33

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.46 $1.46

-18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.49 $2.49

$4.51 $4.51

-44.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$4.34 $4.34

-51.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.23 $1.23

$2.58 $2.58

-52.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.35 $2.35

-1.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.78 $1.78

6.74%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.64 $9.64

$9.88 $9.88

-2.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.13 $15.13

$15.08 $15.08

0.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.92 $2.92

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$3.46 $3.46

-57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.49 $1.49

38.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.73 $2.73

-10.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.66 $1.66

-4.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.74 $40.74

$35.30 $35.30

15.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 $0.78

$0.95 $0.95

-17.89%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.77%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-10.02%

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

$278 $278

$229 $229

21.53%

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

$42.98 $42.98

$59.4 $59.4

-27.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.2 $69.2

$69.9 $69.9

-1.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.72 $14.72

$57.2 $57.2

-74.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 $13.47

$14.28 $14.28

-5.67%

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

$932 $932

$1,506 $1,506

-38.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-25.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.69 $40.69

$52.8 $52.8

-22.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.86 $31.86

$43.82 $43.82

-27.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.4 $99.4

$84.8 $84.8

17.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.0 $70.0

$103 $103

-32.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$1,907 $1,907

-33.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$1,274 $1,274

-28.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,694 $1,694

$3,664 $3,664

-53.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,265 $1,265

$2,538 $2,538

-50.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,441 $1,441

$7,614 $7,614

-81.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,460 $1,460

$3,157 $3,157

-53.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,370 $3,370

$5,121 $5,121

-34.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.79

-4.42%

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

Last update for Joplin, MO: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Joplin, MO

$911 44.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 39.9% $364

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Joplin, MO

$390 19.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 8.2% $32

Groceries & Markets

Joplin, MO

$304 15%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 33.1% $101

Eating Out

Joplin, MO

$257 12.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 37.5% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Joplin, MO

$109 5.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 17.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Joplin, MO

$42 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 106% $44

Getting Around

Joplin, MO

$19 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 215% $40

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 $1,265 in Joplin, MO and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 52% 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: $60.0 in Joplin, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $405 per month, with Joplin, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Joplin, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:10 7:10 AM

Same time as Joplin, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,762

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Joplin, MO Austin, TX 810 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Joplin, 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

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

Joplin, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Joplin, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $1,265 in Joplin, MO versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $932 in Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,032 in Joplin, MO versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Joplin, MO but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Joplin, 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, Joplin, 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 Joplin, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.