Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marion, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Marion, IL: $2,437 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Marion, IL
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Marion, IL Living Index
129

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

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Marion, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,437

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,437 in Marion, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Marion, IL $2,437
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,587 in Marion, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Marion, IL $3,587
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,737 in Marion, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Marion, IL $4,737
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Marion, IL costs roughly 10% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Marion, IL 80% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.67 $17.67

$20.63 $20.63

-14.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$84.6 $84.6

-9.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.07 $12.07

0.66%

Cappuccino

$5.73 $5.73

$5.48 $5.48

4.56%

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

$2.36 $2.36

$3.80 $3.80

-37.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.47 $2.47

-19.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.05 $8.05

-14.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$8.88 $8.88

-10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.77 $0.77

$1.11 $1.11

-30.63%

White Bread (500g)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.72 $3.72

-56.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.37 $3.37

16.91%

Eggs

$2.99 $2.99

$4.32 $4.32

-30.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$13.13 $13.13

-66.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.43 $11.43

$14.15 $14.15

-19.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.99 $18.99

$16.33 $16.33

16.29%

Apples (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.55 $4.55

26.81%

Banana (1kg)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.46 $1.46

19.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.71 $5.71

$4.71 $4.71

21.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.15 $4.15

14.94%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.58 $2.58

26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$2.35 $2.35

81.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.64 $2.64

$1.77 $1.77

49.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.14 $2.14

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.08 $9.08

$10.10 $10.10

-10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.17 $10.17

$15.19 $15.19

-33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.82 $2.82

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 $1.59

$3.44 $3.44

-53.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.54 $1.54

18.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.80 $2.80

-28.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.60 $1.60

-13.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$20.20 $20.20

$34.34 $34.34

-41.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.94 $0.94

5.32%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$34.0K $34.0K

-16.58%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.53%

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

$150 $150

$223 $223

-32.55%

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

$84.3 $84.3

$58.9 $58.9

43.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.7 $73.7

$70.6 $70.6

4.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.51 $41.51

$57.7 $57.7

-28.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$9.84 $9.84

$14.26 $14.26

-31.00%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,511 $1,511

12.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.4K $24.4K

$20.9K $20.9K

16.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$25.46 $25.46

$51.3 $51.3

-50.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.36 $33.36

$44.17 $44.17

-24.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.9 $74.9

$87.0 $87.0

-13.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$86.1 $86.1

$104 $104

-17.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,576 $1,576

$1,940 $1,940

-18.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$1,316 $1,316

-2.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,503 $2,503

$3,664 $3,664

-31.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,135 $2,135

$2,565 $2,565

-16.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,461 $2,461

$7,354 $7,354

-66.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,586 $2,586

$3,129 $3,129

-17.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.79

-2.80%

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

Last update for Marion, IL: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Marion, IL

$1.3K 52.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2.3% $29

Groceries & Markets

Marion, IL

$352 14.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 15.4% $54

Eating Out

Marion, IL

$314 12.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 11.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marion, IL

$308 12.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 14.3% $44

Clothing & Footwear

Marion, IL

$99 4.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 30.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Marion, IL

$61 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 40.9% $25

Getting Around

Marion, IL

$16 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 257% $42

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 $1,576 in Marion, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in Marion, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $406 per month, with Marion, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Marion, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:56 10:56 PM

Same time as Marion, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,193

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

Marion, IL Austin, TX 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Marion, IL
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

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

Marion, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marion, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,656 in Marion, IL and $4,046 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,576 in Marion, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,694 in Marion, IL 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 Marion, IL – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Marion, IL 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.

Expats usually find Marion, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 11% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.