Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Crosse, WI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in La Crosse, WI: $2,217 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in La Crosse, WI
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La Crosse, WI Living Index
125

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

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La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,217

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,217 in La Crosse, WI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

La Crosse, WI $2,217
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,376 in La Crosse, WI versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

La Crosse, WI $3,376
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,535 in La Crosse, WI versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

La Crosse, WI $4,535
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in La Crosse, WI costs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Crosse, WI 63% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.24 $15.24

$20.35 $20.35

-25.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.5 $69.5

$84.7 $84.7

-17.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.83 $10.83

$12.12 $12.12

-10.64%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.65 $5.65

2.12%

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

$2.10 $2.10

$3.68 $3.68

-42.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 $1.18

$2.36 $2.36

-50.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.42 $4.42

$7.87 $7.87

-43.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.99 $5.99

$8.82 $8.82

-32.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.14 $1.14

-35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.69 $3.69

-33.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$3.31 $3.31

38.37%

Eggs

$2.48 $2.48

$4.15 $4.15

-40.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$12.98 $12.98

-21.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.09 $11.09

$13.86 $13.86

-19.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.42 $16.42

$16.34 $16.34

0.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.93 $4.93

$4.69 $4.69

5.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.45 $1.45

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$5.11 $5.11

-37.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.22 $5.22

$4.52 $4.52

15.49%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$3.08 $3.08

-36.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.38 $2.38

-1.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.80 $1.80

11.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.22 $2.22

-22.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.93 $9.93

$9.97 $9.97

-0.40%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.81 $10.81

$15.05 $15.05

-28.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.91 $2.91

-36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.33 $3.33

-38.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.22 $1.22

-18.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$35.33 $35.33

$40.53 $40.53

-12.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.78 $2.78

26.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.65 $1.65

10.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.84 $45.84

$35.39 $35.39

29.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.95 $0.95

-4.21%

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

$33.0K $33.0K

$34.2K $34.2K

-3.57%

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

$24.4K $24.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-8.67%

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

$208 $208

$223 $223

-6.76%

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

$54.6 $54.6

$58.5 $58.5

-6.60%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$71.2 $71.2

-7.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.79 $40.79

$53.0 $53.0

-23.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$3.89 $3.89

$16.75 $16.75

-76.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$14.06 $14.06

-14.94%

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

$888 $888

$1,459 $1,459

-39.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.3 $63.3

$52.5 $52.5

20.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.6 $63.6

$42.75 $42.75

48.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.5 $77.5

$86.4 $86.4

-10.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 $118

$104 $104

13.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$774 $774

$2,112 $2,112

-63.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,017 $1,017

$1,230 $1,230

-17.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,196 $2,196

$3,863 $3,863

-43.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$2,407 $2,407

-20.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,972 $1,972

$7,426 $7,426

-73.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,965 $1,965

$3,060 $3,060

-35.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,185 $4,185

$5,179 $5,179

-19.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.82

-2.79%

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

Last update for La Crosse, WI: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Crosse, WI

$1K 45.9%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 21% $213

Groceries & Markets

La Crosse, WI

$340 15.3%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 20.6% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Crosse, WI

$328 14.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 7.4% $24

Eating Out

La Crosse, WI

$271 12.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 28.5% $77

Clothing & Footwear

La Crosse, WI

$145 6.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 11.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

La Crosse, WI

$65 2.9%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 25.4% $16

Getting Around

La Crosse, WI

$52 2.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 8.8% $4.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $774 in La Crosse, WI and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $69 in La Crosse, WI vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $340 vs $410 per month, with La Crosse, WI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Crosse, WI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:11 10:11 AM

Same time as La Crosse, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,680

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

La Crosse, WI Austin, TX 1,610 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

La Crosse, WI
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

La Crosse, WI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Crosse, WI wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making La Crosse, WI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% lower in La Crosse, WI. 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: $774 in La Crosse, WI 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 $2,217 per month in La Crosse, WI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in La Crosse, WI runs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though La Crosse, WI gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 La Crosse, WI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.