Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Laurel, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Laurel, MD: $2,538 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Laurel, MD
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Laurel, MD Living Index
129

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

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Laurel, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,538

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,538 in Laurel, MD versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Laurel, MD $2,538
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,254 in Laurel, MD versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Laurel, MD $4,254
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,969 in Laurel, MD versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Laurel, MD $5,969
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Laurel, MD costs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Laurel, MD 87% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.12 $18.12

$20.63 $20.63

-12.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 $94.9

$84.6 $84.6

12.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.82 $10.82

$12.07 $12.07

-10.36%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$5.48 $5.48

0.91%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$3.80 $3.80

-19.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.47 $2.47

9.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.82 $6.82

$8.05 $8.05

-15.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$8.88 $8.88

-12.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.11 $1.11

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.72 $3.72

5.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.37 $3.37

15.13%

Eggs

$4.71 $4.71

$4.32 $4.32

9.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.86 $12.86

$13.13 $13.13

-2.06%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.10 $13.10

$14.15 $14.15

-7.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.67 $18.67

$16.33 $16.33

14.33%

Apples (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$4.55 $4.55

34.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.46 $1.46

4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.71 $4.71

-13.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.15 $4.15

2.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.58 $2.58

-15.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.35 $2.35

17.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.49 $2.49

$1.77 $1.77

40.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.14 $2.14

18.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.44 $13.44

$10.10 $10.10

33.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.90 $15.90

$15.19 $15.19

4.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.82 $2.82

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.44 $3.44

-7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.80 $2.80

-34.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.60 $1.60

-13.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.67 $23.67

$34.34 $34.34

-31.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.94 $0.94

10.64%

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

$23.0K $23.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-32.24%

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

$23.8K $23.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-11.22%

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

$203 $203

$223 $223

-9.03%

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

$67.7 $67.7

$58.9 $58.9

15.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$90.5 $90.5

$70.6 $70.6

28.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.46 $14.46

$14.26 $14.26

1.40%

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

$1,933 $1,933

$1,511 $1,511

27.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.2K $35.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

68.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.3 $52.3

$51.3 $51.3

2.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.3 $57.3

$44.17 $44.17

29.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.4 $91.4

$87.0 $87.0

5.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$104 $104

8.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,352 $1,352

$1,940 $1,940

-30.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,260 $1,260

$1,316 $1,316

-4.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,399 $2,399

$3,664 $3,664

-34.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,073 $3,073

$2,565 $2,565

19.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,215 $2,215

$7,354 $7,354

-69.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,568 $2,568

$3,129 $3,129

-17.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,478 $5,478

$5,286 $5,286

3.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.79

-1.03%

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

Last update for Laurel, MD: 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

Laurel, MD

$1.3K 49.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 4.5% $57

Groceries & Markets

Laurel, MD

$422 16.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 3.8% $16

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Laurel, MD

$361 14.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 2.4% $8.6

Eating Out

Laurel, MD

$317 12.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.6% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Laurel, MD

$141 5.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 8.8% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Laurel, MD

$29 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 198% $57

Getting Around

Laurel, MD

$8.8 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 562% $49

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 $1,352 in Laurel, MD and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Laurel, MD pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $95.0 in Laurel, MD vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Laurel, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

17:38 5:38 PM

1 h behind Laurel, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

18,540

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Laurel, MD Austin, TX 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Laurel, MD
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

Laurel, MD vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Laurel, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Laurel, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in Laurel, MD, 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: $1,352 in Laurel, MD versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,933 in Laurel, MD 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 Laurel, MD – a meal for two runs $95.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,538 in Laurel, MD versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Laurel, MD but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Laurel, MD 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 Laurel, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.