Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montgomery, AL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Montgomery, AL: $2,354 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

115

Cost of Living Index in Montgomery, AL
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Montgomery, AL Living Index
130

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

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Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,354

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Montgomery, AL $2,354
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,197 in Montgomery, AL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Montgomery, AL $3,197
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,039 in Montgomery, AL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Montgomery, AL $4,039
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Montgomery, AL costs roughly 12% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Montgomery, AL 74% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.11 $16.11

$20.77 $20.77

-22.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$55.6 $55.6

$84.6 $84.6

-34.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 $10.30

$12.32 $12.32

-16.40%

Cappuccino

$5.36 $5.36

$5.63 $5.63

-4.80%

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

$2.62 $2.62

$3.72 $3.72

-29.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.50 $2.50

-17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.37 $4.37

$8.05 $8.05

-45.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.89 $4.89

$9.01 $9.01

-45.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.85 $0.85

$1.12 $1.12

-24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.59 $3.59

$3.75 $3.75

-4.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.05 $2.05

$3.26 $3.26

-37.12%

Eggs

$3.14 $3.14

$4.17 $4.17

-24.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$12.90 $12.90

-38.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.39 $7.39

$14.16 $14.16

-47.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$16.22 $16.22

-12.02%

Apples (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.33 $4.33

-8.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.46 $1.46

-12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$4.51 $4.51

-56.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.34 $4.34

-4.15%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.58 $2.58

20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.66 $2.66

$2.35 $2.35

13.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.78 $1.78

17.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.22 $2.22

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$9.88 $9.88

-10.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.07 $15.07

$15.08 $15.08

-0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.92 $2.92

-33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.86 $3.86

$3.46 $3.46

11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.49 $1.49

36.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$45.02 $45.02

$41.72 $41.72

7.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.73 $2.73

-7.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.66 $1.66

-3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.54 $25.54

$35.30 $35.30

-27.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$0.95 $0.95

-5.26%

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

$31.7K $31.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-11.98%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.17%

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

$309 $309

$229 $229

35.03%

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

$50.7 $50.7

$59.4 $59.4

-14.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$69.9 $69.9

3.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.83 $37.83

$57.2 $57.2

-33.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$28.52 $28.52

$16.33 $16.33

74.65%

Cinema Ticket

$9.81 $9.81

$14.28 $14.28

-31.30%

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

$1,380 $1,380

$1,506 $1,506

-8.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.7K $13.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-36.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$48.94 $48.94

$52.8 $52.8

-7.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.52 $35.52

$43.82 $43.82

-18.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.2 $86.2

$84.8 $84.8

1.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.5 $96.5

$103 $103

-6.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,287 $1,287

$1,907 $1,907

-32.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,084 $1,084

$1,274 $1,274

-14.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,589 $1,589

$3,664 $3,664

-56.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,455 $1,455

$2,538 $2,538

-42.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,368 $1,368

$7,614 $7,614

-82.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,309 $1,309

$3,157 $3,157

-58.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$5,121 $5,121

-29.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.79

-3.68%

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

Last update for Montgomery, AL: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montgomery, AL

$1.1K 46%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 17.5% $190

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montgomery, AL

$432 18.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 17.1% $74

Groceries & Markets

Montgomery, AL

$322 13.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 25.7% $83

Eating Out

Montgomery, AL

$274 11.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 29% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Montgomery, AL

$120 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6.4% $7.8

Getting Around

Montgomery, AL

$64 2.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 7.9% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Montgomery, AL

$57 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 49.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,287 in Montgomery, AL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 41% 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: $56.0 in Montgomery, AL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $322 vs $405 per month, with Montgomery, AL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Montgomery, AL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:54 11:54 AM

Same time as Montgomery, AL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

200,603

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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Between locations

Montgomery, AL Austin, TX 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Montgomery, AL
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

Montgomery, AL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montgomery, AL wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Montgomery, AL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 41% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,287 in Montgomery, AL versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,354 per month in Montgomery, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Montgomery, AL runs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,354 in Montgomery, AL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Montgomery, AL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montgomery, AL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Montgomery, AL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.