Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Charles, LA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lake Charles, LA: $2,261 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Lake Charles, LA
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Lake Charles, LA Living Index
129

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

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Lake Charles, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,261

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Lake Charles, LA $2,261
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,218 in Lake Charles, LA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Lake Charles, LA $3,218
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,174 in Lake Charles, LA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Lake Charles, LA $4,174
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Lake Charles, LA costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Charles, LA 67% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.37 $26.37

$20.63 $20.63

27.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 $70.0

$84.6 $84.6

-17.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.80 $10.80

$12.07 $12.07

-10.52%

Cappuccino

$5.32 $5.32

$5.48 $5.48

-2.92%

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

$2.01 $2.01

$3.80 $3.80

-47.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.47 $2.47

-50.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.14 $5.14

$8.05 $8.05

-36.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$8.88 $8.88

-32.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.11 $1.11

26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.72 $3.72

11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$3.37 $3.37

80.12%

Eggs

$5.48 $5.48

$4.32 $4.32

26.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.31 $15.31

$13.13 $13.13

16.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.03 $10.03

$14.15 $14.15

-29.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.57 $15.57

$16.33 $16.33

-4.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.55 $4.55

-3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.46 $1.46

-9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.00 $2.00

$4.71 $4.71

-57.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.15 $4.15

36.87%

Potato (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$2.58 $2.58

70.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.35 $2.35

-5.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.77 $1.77

27.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.14 $2.14

20.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.31 $8.31

$10.10 $10.10

-17.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.90 $16.90

$15.19 $15.19

11.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.82 $2.82

-9.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 $3.91

$3.44 $3.44

13.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.80 $2.80

23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.60 $1.60

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.96 $34.96

$34.34 $34.34

1.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.94 $0.94

-8.51%

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

$33.2K $33.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-2.22%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.24%

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

$263 $263

$223 $223

18.15%

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

$71.4 $71.4

$58.9 $58.9

21.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.0 $57.0

$70.6 $70.6

-19.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.38 $32.38

$57.7 $57.7

-43.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.86 $13.86

$16.53 $16.53

-16.15%

Cinema Ticket

$11.89 $11.89

$14.26 $14.26

-16.62%

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

$1,542 $1,542

$1,511 $1,511

2.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.3K $10.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

-50.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.43 $25.43

$51.3 $51.3

-50.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.92 $43.92

$44.17 $44.17

-0.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$59.5 $59.5

$87.0 $87.0

-31.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$104 $104

14.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,009 $1,009

$1,940 $1,940

-48.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$911 $911

$1,316 $1,316

-30.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,555 $1,555

$3,664 $3,664

-57.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,271 $1,271

$2,565 $2,565

-50.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,370 $1,370

$7,354 $7,354

-81.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,395 $1,395

$3,129 $3,129

-55.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,514 $3,514

$5,286 $5,286

-33.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.79

-1.91%

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

Last update for Lake Charles, LA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Charles, LA

$911 40.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 44.5% $405

Groceries & Markets

Lake Charles, LA

$422 18.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 3.9% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Charles, LA

$391 17.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 10% $39

Eating Out

Lake Charles, LA

$358 15.8%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 2.2% $7.7

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Charles, LA

$112 4.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 15.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Charles, LA

$56 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 53.5% $30

Getting Around

Lake Charles, LA

$11 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 424% $47

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 $1,009 in Lake Charles, LA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 50% 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: $70.0 in Lake Charles, LA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $422 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Charles, LA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:41 6:41 AM

Same time as Lake Charles, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

84,872

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lake Charles, LA Austin, TX 430 km

From you

Lake Charles, LA
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

Lake Charles, LA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lake Charles, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 19% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lake Charles, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 50% 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: $1,009 in Lake Charles, LA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,542 in Lake Charles, LA versus $1,511 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 Lake Charles, LA – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,261 in Lake Charles, LA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lake Charles, LA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lake Charles, LA 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, Lake Charles, LA 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 Lake Charles, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 19% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.