Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lubbock, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lubbock, TX: $2,098 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Lubbock, TX
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Lubbock, TX Living Index
125

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

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Lubbock, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,098

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,098 in Lubbock, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Lubbock, TX $2,098
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,055 in Lubbock, TX versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Lubbock, TX $3,055
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,013 in Lubbock, TX versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Lubbock, TX $4,013
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Lubbock, TX costs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lubbock, TX 54% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.04 $15.04

$20.35 $20.35

-26.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$84.7 $84.7

-11.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.19 $12.19

$12.12 $12.12

0.58%

Cappuccino

$7.37 $7.37

$5.65 $5.65

30.44%

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

$2.40 $2.40

$3.68 $3.68

-34.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.36 $2.36

-33.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.05 $7.05

$7.87 $7.87

-10.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.68 $8.68

$8.82 $8.82

-1.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.14 $1.14

-19.30%

White Bread (500g)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.69 $3.69

-6.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.31 $3.31

22.96%

Eggs

$3.53 $3.53

$4.15 $4.15

-14.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.54 $22.54

$12.98 $12.98

73.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$13.86 $13.86

-20.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.62 $18.62

$16.34 $16.34

13.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.69 $4.69

4.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.45 $1.45

15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$5.11 $5.11

-30.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.52 $4.52

20.58%

Potato (1kg)

$1.06 $1.06

$3.08 $3.08

-65.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.38 $2.38

15.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 $2.41

$1.80 $1.80

33.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.22 $2.22

64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.09 $10.09

$9.97 $9.97

1.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.30 $20.30

$15.05 $15.05

34.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.91 $2.91

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.33 $3.33

47.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.22 $1.22

-16.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$30.14 $30.14

$40.53 $40.53

-25.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.66 $4.66

$1.65 $1.65

182.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.95 $0.95

-1.05%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$34.2K $34.2K

-21.41%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.58%

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

$198 $198

$223 $223

-11.11%

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

$85.6 $85.6

$58.5 $58.5

46.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.8 $72.8

$71.2 $71.2

2.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.26 $21.26

$53.0 $53.0

-59.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$12.81 $12.81

$14.06 $14.06

-8.89%

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

$657 $657

$1,459 $1,459

-54.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$52.5 $52.5

23.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$74.4 $74.4

$42.75 $42.75

74.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 $65.2

$86.4 $86.4

-24.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 $1,167

$2,112 $2,112

-44.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$781 $781

$1,230 $1,230

-36.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,597 $1,597

$3,863 $3,863

-58.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,141 $1,141

$2,407 $2,407

-52.60%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,648 $1,648

$7,426 $7,426

-77.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,332 $1,332

$3,060 $3,060

-56.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,543 $3,543

$5,179 $5,179

-31.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.82

-5.72%

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

Last update for Lubbock, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lubbock, TX

$781 37.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 57.6% $450

Groceries & Markets

Lubbock, TX

$450 21.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 8.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lubbock, TX

$357 17%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 1.1% $4

Eating Out

Lubbock, TX

$314 15%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 11% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Lubbock, TX

$92 * 4.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 39.5% $36

Getting Around

Lubbock, TX

$57 * 2.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 1.8% $1

Sport & Entertainment

Lubbock, TX

$47 2.2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 73.1% $34

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 $1,167 in Lubbock, TX and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 46% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Lubbock, TX vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $450 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lubbock, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

Same time as Lubbock, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

257,141

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Lubbock, TX Austin, TX 530 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Lubbock, TX
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

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

Lubbock, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Lubbock, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% lower in Lubbock, 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: $1,167 in Lubbock, TX 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 $2,098 per month in Lubbock, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lubbock, TX runs roughly 26% 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 Lubbock, TX gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Lubbock, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – Lubbock, TX wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.