Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monument, CO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,286 in Monument, CO, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Monument, CO outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

161

Cost of Living Index in Monument, CO
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Monument, CO Living Index
129

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

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Monument, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$3,286

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,286 in Monument, CO versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Monument, CO $3,286
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,580 in Monument, CO versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Monument, CO $4,580
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,874 in Monument, CO versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Monument, CO $5,874
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Monument, CO is roughly 22% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monument, CO 143% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.98 $24.98

$20.63 $20.63

21.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$71.4 $71.4

$84.6 $84.6

-15.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.39 $10.39

$12.07 $12.07

-13.92%

Cappuccino

$5.44 $5.44

$5.48 $5.48

-0.73%

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

$2.75 $2.75

$3.80 $3.80

-27.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.47 $2.47

-10.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.92 $5.92

$8.05 $8.05

-26.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 $7.00

$8.88 $8.88

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.11 $1.11

-18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.72 $3.72

-10.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.37 $3.37

-16.02%

Eggs

$6.12 $6.12

$4.32 $4.32

41.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.08 $14.08

$13.13 $13.13

7.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.76 $13.76

$14.15 $14.15

-2.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.64 $19.64

$16.33 $16.33

20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.55 $4.55

20.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.46 $1.46

-6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$4.71 $4.71

-33.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.15 $4.15

11.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.35 $2.35

9.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.77 $1.77

-3.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.14 $2.14

-7.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

Wine (Bottle)

$15.94 $15.94

$15.19 $15.19

4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.82 $2.82

-16.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.44 $3.44

-27.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.80 $2.80

35.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.60 $1.60

-27.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.42 $25.42

$34.34 $34.34

-25.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.94 $0.94

5.32%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.62%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.14%

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

$198 $198

$223 $223

-10.89%

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

$81.9 $81.9

$58.9 $58.9

39.10%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 $75.1

$70.6 $70.6

6.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.31 $25.31

$57.7 $57.7

-56.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 $15.26

$14.26 $14.26

7.01%

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

$1,484 $1,484

$1,511 $1,511

-1.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,400 $6,400

$20.9K $20.9K

-69.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.6 $57.6

$51.3 $51.3

12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.38 $34.38

$44.17 $44.17

-22.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 $82.3

$87.0 $87.0

-5.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 $99.9

$104 $104

-4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,982 $1,982

$1,940 $1,940

2.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$1,316 $1,316

49.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,055 $3,055

$3,664 $3,664

-16.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,986 $2,986

$2,565 $2,565

16.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.79

-2.65%

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

Last update for Monument, CO: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monument, CO

$2K 60%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 33.2% $655

Groceries & Markets

Monument, CO

$411 12.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 1.2% $4.8

Eating Out

Monument, CO

$360 10.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 2.7% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monument, CO

$355 10.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 0.9% $3.3

Clothing & Footwear

Monument, CO

$123 3.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.6% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Monument, CO

$56 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 54.4% $30

Getting Around

Monument, CO

$9.6 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 503% $48

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 $1,982 in Monument, CO and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $71.0 in Monument, CO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $411 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monument, CO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

18:46 6:46 PM

1 h ahead of Monument, CO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,000

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

Monument, CO Austin, TX 1,180 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Monument, CO
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

Monument, CO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Monument, CO. 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 $4,930 in Monument, CO 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: $1,982 in Monument, CO versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,484 in Monument, CO 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 $71.0 in Monument, CO. 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.

Safety-wise, Monument, CO and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Monument, CO. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.