Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Merrillville, IN and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Merrillville, IN and in Austin, TX: $2,522 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

123

Cost of Living Index in Merrillville, IN
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Merrillville, IN Living Index
125

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

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Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,522

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,522 in Merrillville, IN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Merrillville, IN $2,522
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,513 in Merrillville, IN versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Merrillville, IN $3,513
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,505 in Merrillville, IN versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Merrillville, IN $4,505
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Merrillville, IN costs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Merrillville, IN 85% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.98 $14.98

$20.35 $20.35

-26.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.8 $55.8

$84.7 $84.7

-34.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.94 $9.94

$12.12 $12.12

-17.99%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$5.65 $5.65

-20.71%

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

$2.27 $2.27

$3.68 $3.68

-38.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.36 $2.36

-5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.40 $4.40

$7.87 $7.87

-44.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.96 $5.96

$8.82 $8.82

-32.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.14 $1.14

-35.96%

White Bread (500g)

$3.19 $3.19

$3.69 $3.69

-13.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.31 $3.31

42.60%

Eggs

$4.72 $4.72

$4.15 $4.15

13.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.98 $12.98

-14.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.40 $9.40

$13.86 $13.86

-32.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.23 $22.23

$16.34 $16.34

36.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.69 $4.69

23.24%

Banana (1kg)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.45 $1.45

-22.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$5.11 $5.11

-14.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.68 $5.68

$4.52 $4.52

25.66%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.08 $3.08

15.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.38 $2.38

82.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.80 $1.80

35.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.22 $2.22

-45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.07 $11.07

$9.97 $9.97

11.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.88 $11.88

$15.05 $15.05

-21.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.91 $2.91

-31.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.33 $3.33

3.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.22 $1.22

43.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.2 $67.2

$40.53 $40.53

65.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.91 $4.91

$2.78 $2.78

76.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.65 $1.65

9.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.1 $50.1

$35.39 $35.39

41.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.95 $0.95

-3.16%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

-20.27%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.89%

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

$233 $233

$223 $223

4.64%

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

$50.5 $50.5

$58.5 $58.5

-13.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.8 $59.8

$71.2 $71.2

-16.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.20 $37.20

$53.0 $53.0

-29.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.85 $14.85

$14.06 $14.06

5.62%

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

$1,353 $1,353

$1,459 $1,459

-7.23%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

11.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.2 $53.2

$52.5 $52.5

1.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.27 $40.27

$42.75 $42.75

-5.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 $109

$86.4 $86.4

25.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.5 $95.5

$104 $104

-8.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,400 $1,400

$2,112 $2,112

-33.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,244 $1,244

$1,230 $1,230

1.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,523 $2,523

$3,863 $3,863

-34.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,796 $1,796

$2,407 $2,407

-25.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,837 $2,837

$7,426 $7,426

-61.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,031 $2,031

$3,060 $3,060

-33.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.82

-4.25%

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

Last update for Merrillville, IN: 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

Merrillville, IN

$1.2K 49.3%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 1.1% $14

Groceries & Markets

Merrillville, IN

$390 15.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 5.1% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Merrillville, IN

$344 13.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 2.6% $9

Eating Out

Merrillville, IN

$255 10.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 36.4% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Merrillville, IN

$134 5.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 4.1% $5.5

Getting Around

Merrillville, IN

$88 3.5%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 36% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Merrillville, IN

$67 2.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 21.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,400 in Merrillville, IN and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $56 in Merrillville, IN vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $390 vs $410 per month, with Merrillville, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Merrillville, IN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

Same time as Merrillville, IN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,444

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Merrillville, IN Austin, TX 1,560 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Merrillville, IN
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

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

Merrillville, IN wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Merrillville, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,783 in Merrillville, IN 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: $1,400 in Merrillville, IN 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 $2,522 per month in Merrillville, IN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 40% less than in Merrillville, IN. 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 Merrillville, IN gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Merrillville, IN 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.