Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,886 in McHenry, IL, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

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

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

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McHenry, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,886

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,886 in McHenry, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

McHenry, IL $2,886
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,170 in McHenry, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

McHenry, IL $4,170
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,455 in McHenry, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

McHenry, IL $5,455
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in McHenry, IL is roughly 7% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: McHenry, IL 113% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.39 $20.39

$20.63 $20.63

-1.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.8 $65.8

$84.6 $84.6

-22.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.12 $13.12

$12.07 $12.07

8.70%

Cappuccino

$5.66 $5.66

$5.48 $5.48

3.28%

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

$3.10 $3.10

$3.80 $3.80

-18.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.47 $2.47

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.13 $7.13

$8.05 $8.05

-11.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.88 $8.88

-9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.11 $1.11

-16.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.72 $3.72

-8.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.37 $3.37

23.44%

Eggs

$3.79 $3.79

$4.32 $4.32

-12.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.74 $14.74

$13.13 $13.13

12.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$14.15 $14.15

-7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.85 $19.85

$16.33 $16.33

21.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.55 $4.55

1.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.46 $1.46

10.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.30 $5.30

$4.71 $4.71

12.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.87 $4.87

$4.15 $4.15

17.35%

Potato (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.58 $2.58

10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$2.35 $2.35

28.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.77 $1.77

22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.14 $2.14

11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.80 $10.80

$10.10 $10.10

6.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.46 $15.46

$15.19 $15.19

1.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.82 $2.82

-5.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 $4.56

$3.44 $3.44

32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.54 $1.54

48.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.98 $3.98

$2.80 $2.80

42.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.60 $1.60

23.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.97 $43.97

$34.34 $34.34

28.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.94 $0.94

11.70%

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

$30.3K $30.3K

$34.0K $34.0K

-10.70%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.57%

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

$273 $273

$223 $223

22.73%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$58.9 $58.9

-11.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$82.6 $82.6

$70.6 $70.6

17.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.87 $44.87

$57.7 $57.7

-22.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.87 $14.87

$14.26 $14.26

4.28%

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

$1,749 $1,749

$1,511 $1,511

15.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

14.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.8 $64.8

$51.3 $51.3

26.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.4 $51.4

$44.17 $44.17

16.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 $107

$87.0 $87.0

23.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$104 $104

16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,620 $1,620

$1,940 $1,940

-16.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,452 $1,452

$1,316 $1,316

10.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,885 $2,885

$3,664 $3,664

-21.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,451 $2,451

$2,565 $2,565

-4.45%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,120 $3,120

$7,354 $7,354

-57.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,499 $2,499

$3,129 $3,129

-20.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,382 $7,382

$5,286 $5,286

39.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.79

-1.47%

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

Last update for McHenry, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

McHenry, IL

$1.5K 50.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 9.4% $136

Groceries & Markets

McHenry, IL

$428 14.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 5.2% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McHenry, IL

$408 14.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 13.6% $56

Eating Out

McHenry, IL

$345 11.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 1.6% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

McHenry, IL

$155 5.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 16.9% $26

Sport & Entertainment

McHenry, IL

$75 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 15.6% $12

Getting Around

McHenry, IL

$23 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 152% $35

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 $1,620 in McHenry, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

McHenry, IL pays 40% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $66.0 in McHenry, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $428 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McHenry, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as McHenry, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

27,135

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

McHenry, IL Austin, TX 1,590 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

McHenry, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in McHenry, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% higher in McHenry, IL, 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: $1,620 in McHenry, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,749 in McHenry, 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $66.0 in McHenry, IL. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in McHenry, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.