Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Medford, MA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,087 in Medford, MA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

149

Cost of Living Index in Medford, MA
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Medford, MA Living Index
125

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

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Medford, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,087

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,087 in Medford, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Medford, MA $3,087
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,233 in Medford, MA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Medford, MA $4,233
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,378 in Medford, MA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Medford, MA $5,378
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Medford, MA is roughly 18% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Medford, MA 127% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.23 $18.23

$20.35 $20.35

-10.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$95.9 $95.9

$84.7 $84.7

13.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.12 $12.12

0.25%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$5.65 $5.65

-2.65%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$3.68 $3.68

-19.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.36 $2.36

6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 $7.89

$7.87 $7.87

0.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.73 $8.73

$8.82 $8.82

-1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.14 $1.14

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.69 $3.69

8.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.31 $3.31

61.63%

Eggs

$4.74 $4.74

$4.15 $4.15

14.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.48 $11.48

$12.98 $12.98

-11.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.58 $14.58

$13.86 $13.86

5.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$16.34 $16.34

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.69 $4.69

40.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.45 $1.45

24.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$5.11 $5.11

5.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.54 $5.54

$4.52 $4.52

22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.08 $3.08

45.13%

Onion (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.38 $2.38

75.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.01 $3.01

$1.80 $1.80

67.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.00 $3.00

$2.22 $2.22

35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.10 $13.10

$9.97 $9.97

31.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.47 $13.47

$15.05 $15.05

-10.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.91 $2.91

-27.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.29 $4.29

$3.33 $3.33

28.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.22 $1.22

95.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.0 $60.0

$40.53 $40.53

48.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.78 $2.78

-5.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.65 $1.65

7.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$35.39 $35.39

-19.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.95 $0.95

12.63%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-18.67%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.16%

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

$246 $246

$223 $223

10.10%

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

$54.9 $54.9

$58.5 $58.5

-6.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.3 $85.3

$71.2 $71.2

19.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.33 $41.33

$53.0 $53.0

-22.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.19 $14.19

$14.06 $14.06

0.92%

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

$1,839 $1,839

$1,459 $1,459

26.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.1K $30.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

41.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 $57.8

$52.5 $52.5

10.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.42 $38.42

$42.75 $42.75

-10.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.3 $79.3

$86.4 $86.4

-8.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.8 $99.8

$104 $104

-3.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,600 $1,600

$2,112 $2,112

-24.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,639 $1,639

$1,230 $1,230

33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,510 $2,510

$3,863 $3,863

-35.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$2,407 $2,407

-10.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,745 $2,745

$7,426 $7,426

-63.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,408 $2,408

$3,060 $3,060

-21.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Medford, MA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Medford, MA

$1.6K 53.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 24.9% $409

Groceries & Markets

Medford, MA

$461 14.9%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 11.1% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Medford, MA

$386 12.5%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 8.6% $33

Eating Out

Medford, MA

$327 10.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 6.4% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Medford, MA

$124 4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 3.7% $4.5

Getting Around

Medford, MA

$81 2.6%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 30.3% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Medford, MA

$70 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 16.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,600 in Medford, MA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $96 in Medford, MA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Medford, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:14 6:14 PM

17:14 5:14 PM

1 h behind Medford, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

56,173

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Medford, MA Austin, TX 2,720 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Medford, MA
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Medford, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,631 in Medford, MA and $3,911 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: $1,600 in Medford, MA 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 $3,087 per month in Medford, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 16% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in Medford, MA. 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.