Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Long Island, NY and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $4,225 in Long Island, NY, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

201

Cost of Living Index in Long Island, NY
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Long Island, NY Living Index
125

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

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Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,225

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,225 in Long Island, NY versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Long Island, NY $4,225
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,930 in Long Island, NY versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Long Island, NY $5,930
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,634 in Long Island, NY versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Long Island, NY $7,634
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Long Island, NY is roughly 62% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Island, NY 210% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.14 $25.14

$20.35 $20.35

23.54%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.5 $98.5

$84.7 $84.7

16.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.99 $10.99

$12.12 $12.12

-9.32%

Cappuccino

$5.08 $5.08

$5.65 $5.65

-10.09%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.68 $3.68

-41.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.36 $2.36

-33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.02 $8.02

$7.87 $7.87

1.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.82 $8.82

-10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.14 $1.14

15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$4.26 $4.26

$3.69 $3.69

15.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 $1.94

$3.31 $3.31

-41.39%

Eggs

$5.26 $5.26

$4.15 $4.15

26.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.21 $7.21

$12.98 $12.98

-44.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.89 $11.89

$13.86 $13.86

-14.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.34 $16.34

-0.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$4.69 $4.69

-8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.45 $1.45

-17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$5.11 $5.11

-59.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$4.52 $4.52

36.28%

Potato (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$3.08 $3.08

-65.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.38 $2.38

-8.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.80 $1.80

-17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.22 $2.22

28.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.97 $9.97

18.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.58 $17.58

$15.05 $15.05

16.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.91 $2.91

-39.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.33 $3.33

22.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.22 $1.22

143.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$130 $130

$40.53 $40.53

219.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.78 $2.78

7.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.65 $1.65

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.41 $24.41

$35.39 $35.39

-31.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.62%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.82%

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

$192 $192

$223 $223

-14.00%

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

$48.26 $48.26

$58.5 $58.5

-17.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.7 $53.7

$71.2 $71.2

-24.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.30 $31.30

$53.0 $53.0

-40.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$102 $102

$16.75 $16.75

508.36%

Cinema Ticket

$14.69 $14.69

$14.06 $14.06

4.48%

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

$2,444 $2,444

$1,459 $1,459

67.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

10.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.07 $40.07

$52.5 $52.5

-23.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 $56.7

$42.75 $42.75

32.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.3 $76.3

$86.4 $86.4

-11.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$155 $155

$104 $104

49.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,189 $3,189

$2,112 $2,112

51.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,820 $2,820

$1,230 $1,230

129.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,670 $5,670

$3,863 $3,863

46.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,315 $4,315

$2,407 $2,407

79.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,973 $5,973

$7,426 $7,426

-19.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,241 $4,241

$3,060 $3,060

38.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,981 $4,981

$5,179 $5,179

-3.83%

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 Long Island, NY: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Long Island, NY

$2.8K 66.8%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 56.4% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Long Island, NY

$382 9%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 7.3% $28

Eating Out

Long Island, NY

$366 8.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 4.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Island, NY

$294 7%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 20% $59

Getting Around

Long Island, NY

$154 3.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 63.4% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Long Island, NY

$148 3.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 13.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Long Island, NY

$61 1.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 33.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,189 in Long Island, NY and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX 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: $99 in Long Island, NY vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $410, with Long Island, NY cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Island, NY

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

23:35 11:35 PM

1 h behind Long Island, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,804,968

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Long Island, NY Austin, TX 2,510 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Long Island, NY
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

Long Island, NY vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Long Island, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 4% lower in Long Island, NY. 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: $3,189 in Long Island, NY 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 $4,225 per month in Long Island, NY versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 38% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 69% less than in Long Island, NY. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.