Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Motherwell and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Motherwell: $2,285 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Motherwell
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,285
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,285 in Motherwell versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Motherwell $2,285
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,349 in Motherwell versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Motherwell $3,349
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,414 in Motherwell versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Motherwell $4,414
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Motherwell costs roughly 14% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Motherwell 69% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.07 £15.06
$20.77 $20.77
-3.37%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.0 £55.5
$84.6 $84.6
-12.52%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.64 £7.98
$12.32 $12.32
-13.64%
Cappuccino
$4.69 £3.52
$5.63 $5.63
-16.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.15 £1.61
$3.72 $3.72
-42.20%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.76 £1.32
$2.50 $2.50
-29.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.41 £4.06
$8.05 $8.05
-32.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$6.67 £5.00
$9.01 $9.01
-25.97%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.47 £1.10
$1.12 $1.12
31.25%
White Bread (500g)
$1.63 £1.22
$3.75 $3.75
-56.53%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.19 £1.64
$3.26 $3.26
-32.82%
Eggs
$3.80 £2.85
$4.17 $4.17
-8.87%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.14 £6.86
$12.90 $12.90
-29.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$9.13 £6.85
$14.16 $14.16
-35.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.65 £12.49
$16.22 $16.22
2.65%
Apples (1kg)
$2.81 £2.11
$4.33 $4.33
-35.10%
Banana (1kg)
$1.52 £1.14
$1.46 $1.46
4.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.88 £2.16
$4.51 $4.51
-36.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.16 £2.37
$4.34 $4.34
-27.19%
Potato (1kg)
$1.97 £1.48
$2.58 $2.58
-23.64%
Onion (1kg)
$1.42 £1.07
$2.35 $2.35
-39.57%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.19 £0.90
$1.78 $1.78
-33.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.56 £1.17
$2.22 $2.22
-29.73%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$20.95 £15.71
$9.88 $9.88
112.04%
Wine (Bottle)
$10.45 £7.84
$15.08 $15.08
-30.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$3.13 £2.35
$2.92 $2.92
7.19%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.41 £2.56
$3.46 $3.46
-1.45%
🚌 Getting Around
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$3.49 £2.62
$1.49 $1.49
134.23%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$97.5 £73.1
$41.72 $41.72
133.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.98 £4.49
$2.73 $2.73
119.05%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.14 £0.86
$1.66 $1.66
-31.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.19 £21.15
$35.30 $35.30
-20.14%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.09 £1.57
$0.95 $0.95
120.00%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$38.5K £28.9K
$36.0K $36.0K
6.76%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$39.9K £30.0K
$27.1K $27.1K
47.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$241 £181
$229 $229
5.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.77 £14.83
$59.4 $59.4
-66.71%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$41.45 £31.10
$69.9 $69.9
-40.71%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$46.34 £34.77
$57.2 $57.2
-19.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$6.65 £4.99
$16.33 $16.33
-59.28%
Cinema Ticket
$12.06 £9.05
$14.28 $14.28
-15.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$910 £683
$1,506 $1,506
-39.57%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$17.6K £13.2K
$21.5K $21.5K
-17.95%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$117 £87.7
$52.8 $52.8
121.40%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$48.37 £36.29
$43.82 $43.82
10.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$104 £77.7
$84.8 $84.8
22.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.2 £67.6
$103 $103
-12.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,218 £914
$1,907 $1,907
-36.15%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,019 £765
$1,274 $1,274
-20.01%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,124 £1,593
$3,664 $3,664
-42.04%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,643 £1,233
$2,538 $2,538
-35.25%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$5,030 £3,774
$7,614 $7,614
-33.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,920 £2,941
$3,157 $3,157
24.16%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Motherwell
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,121 $5,121
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
5
6.79
-26.36%

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

Last update for Motherwell: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Motherwell
$1K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 25% $255
Eating Out
Motherwell
$305
Austin, TX
$354 16.1% $49
Groceries & Markets
Motherwell
$304
Austin, TX
$405 33.1% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Motherwell
$302
Austin, TX
$358 18.6% $56
Clothing & Footwear
Motherwell
$162
Austin, TX
$128 20.8% $34
Getting Around
Motherwell
$123
Austin, TX
$59 52.3% $64
Sport & Entertainment
Motherwell
$70
Austin, TX
$86 21.8% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,218 in Motherwell and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74.0 in Motherwell vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $405 per month, with Motherwell cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇬🇧 Motherwell
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
18:39 6:39 PM
12:39 12:39 PM
6 h behind Motherwell
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
32,120
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to GBP – British Pound Converter

British Pound exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Motherwell Austin, TX 7,490 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Motherwell
  • 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
Motherwell vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Motherwell or Austin, TX?
Motherwell wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Motherwell the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Motherwell and in Austin, TX?
You'd need roughly $3,428 in Motherwell and $3,995 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Motherwell compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,218 in Motherwell versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Motherwell compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,285 per month in Motherwell versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Motherwell compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Motherwell runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Motherwell or in Austin, TX?
At $2,285 in Motherwell versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Motherwell but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Motherwell the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Motherwell or Austin, TX?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Motherwell gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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