Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Madison, WI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,972 in Madison, WI, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

144

Cost of Living Index in Madison, WI
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Madison, WI Living Index
125

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

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Madison, WI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,972

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,972 in Madison, WI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Madison, WI $2,972
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,286 in Madison, WI versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Madison, WI $4,286
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,600 in Madison, WI versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Madison, WI $5,600
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Madison, WI is roughly 14% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Madison, WI 118% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.66 $19.66

$20.35 $20.35

-3.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$68.0 $68.0

$84.7 $84.7

-19.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.89 $12.89

$12.12 $12.12

6.35%

Cappuccino

$5.77 $5.77

$5.65 $5.65

2.12%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.68 $3.68

-15.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.36 $2.36

6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$7.87 $7.87

-9.28%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.82 $8.82

-11.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.14 $1.14

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.69 $3.69

-4.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.31 $3.31

29.00%

Eggs

$3.71 $3.71

$4.15 $4.15

-10.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.06 $15.06

$12.98 $12.98

16.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.03 $13.03

$13.86 $13.86

-5.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.45 $20.45

$16.34 $16.34

25.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.69 $4.69

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.45 $1.45

9.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$5.11 $5.11

0.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.96 $4.96

$4.52 $4.52

9.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.89 $2.89

$3.08 $3.08

-6.17%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.38 $2.38

31.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.07 $2.07

$1.80 $1.80

15.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.22 $2.22

10.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.96 $10.96

$9.97 $9.97

9.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.40 $15.40

$15.05 $15.05

2.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.91 $2.91

-4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.33 $3.33

33.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.22 $1.22

59.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.2 $66.2

$40.53 $40.53

63.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.10 $4.10

$2.78 $2.78

47.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.65 $1.65

19.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.65 $43.65

$35.39 $35.39

23.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.95 $0.95

10.53%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-11.91%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.53%

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

$269 $269

$223 $223

20.73%

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

$52.8 $52.8

$58.5 $58.5

-9.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.5 $81.5

$71.2 $71.2

14.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 $54.2

$53.0 $53.0

2.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.52 $10.52

$16.75 $16.75

-37.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$14.06 $14.06

5.26%

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

$1,621 $1,621

$1,459 $1,459

11.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.5K $23.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

10.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.0 $65.0

$52.5 $52.5

23.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.5 $50.5

$42.75 $42.75

18.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$86.4 $86.4

22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 $123

$104 $104

18.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 $1,807

$2,112 $2,112

-14.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 $1,469

$1,230 $1,230

19.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,184 $3,184

$3,863 $3,863

-17.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,432 $2,432

$2,407 $2,407

1.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,596 $4,596

$7,426 $7,426

-38.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,418 $2,418

$3,060 $3,060

-21.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,521 $4,521

$5,179 $5,179

-12.72%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.82

-1.91%

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

Last update for Madison, WI: 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

Madison, WI

$1.5K 49.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 16.2% $238

Groceries & Markets

Madison, WI

$433 14.6%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 5.5% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Madison, WI

$404 13.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 12.6% $51

Eating Out

Madison, WI

$339 11.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 2.7% $9.1

Clothing & Footwear

Madison, WI

$155 5.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 17.2% $27

Getting Around

Madison, WI

$88 3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 35.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Madison, WI

$84 2.8%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 3.2% $2.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,807 in Madison, WI and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 15% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $68 in Madison, WI vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $433 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Madison, WI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

Same time as Madison, WI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

248,951

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Madison, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 12% lower than in Madison, WI. 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 13% lower in Madison, 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: $1,807 in Madison, 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 $2,972 per month in Madison, WI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 12% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 39% less than in Madison, WI. 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.