Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Muncie, IN and in Austin, TX: $2,517 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

Muncie, IN, United States
Austin, TX, United States
Muncie, IN
🇺🇸 United States
$2,517
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,517 in Muncie, IN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

  • Muncie, IN $2,517
  • Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,706 in Muncie, IN versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

  • Muncie, IN $3,706
  • Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,896 in Muncie, IN versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

  • Muncie, IN $4,896
  • Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Muncie, 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: Muncie, IN 85% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.73 $14.73
$20.35 $20.35
-27.62%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.6 $50.6
$84.7 $84.7
-40.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.12 $10.12
$12.12 $12.12
-16.50%
Cappuccino
$4.86 $4.86
$5.65 $5.65
-13.98%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$3.68 $3.68
-37.77%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.74 $1.74
$2.36 $2.36
-26.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.55 $5.55
$7.87 $7.87
-29.48%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.72 $7.72
$8.82 $8.82
-12.47%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.65 $0.65
$1.14 $1.14
-42.98%
White Bread (500g)
$3.29 $3.29
$3.69 $3.69
-10.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.01 $4.01
$3.31 $3.31
21.15%
Eggs
$4.21 $4.21
$4.15 $4.15
1.45%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.87 $12.87
$12.98 $12.98
-0.85%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.00 $11.00
$13.86 $13.86
-20.63%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.20 $16.20
$16.34 $16.34
-0.86%
Apples (1kg)
$5.76 $5.76
$4.69 $4.69
22.81%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 $1.65
$1.45 $1.45
13.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.28 $4.28
$5.11 $5.11
-16.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$4.52 $4.52
1.99%
Potato (1kg)
$2.57 $2.57
$3.08 $3.08
-16.56%
Onion (1kg)
$3.32 $3.32
$2.38 $2.38
39.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.80 $1.80
13.33%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.86 $1.86
$2.22 $2.22
-16.22%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.13 $10.13
$9.97 $9.97
1.60%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.97 $14.97
$15.05 $15.05
-0.53%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.13 $2.13
$2.91 $2.91
-26.80%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.06 $3.06
$3.33 $3.33
-8.11%
🚌 Getting Around
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.22 $1.22
75.41%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$57.7 $57.7
$40.53 $40.53
42.44%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$3.78 $3.78
$2.78 $2.78
35.97%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.27 $1.27
$1.65 $1.65
-23.03%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$25.17 $25.17
$35.39 $35.39
-28.88%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$0.95 $0.95
-5.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$34.2K $34.2K
5.31%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.7K $25.7K
$26.8K $26.8K
-3.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$150 $150
$223 $223
-32.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$77.8 $77.8
$58.5 $58.5
33.11%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$73.4 $73.4
$71.2 $71.2
3.18%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$40.76 $40.76
$53.0 $53.0
-23.15%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.75 $16.75
-
Cinema Ticket
$15.12 $15.12
$14.06 $14.06
7.54%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,304 $1,304
$1,459 $1,459
-10.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$19.7K $19.7K
$21.3K $21.3K
-7.60%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$20.09 $20.09
$52.5 $52.5
-61.73%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.59 $44.59
$42.75 $42.75
4.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$86.1 $86.1
$86.4 $86.4
-0.40%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$108 $108
$104 $104
4.47%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,556 $1,556
$2,112 $2,112
-26.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,301 $1,301
$1,230 $1,230
5.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,216 $2,216
$3,863 $3,863
-42.63%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,289 $2,289
$2,407 $2,407
-4.88%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,238 $1,238
$7,426 $7,426
-83.33%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,236 $1,236
$3,060 $3,060
-59.61%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Muncie, IN
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,263 $3,263
$5,179 $5,179
-37.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.59
6.82
-3.37%

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

Last update for Muncie, 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
Muncie, IN
$1.3K
Austin, TX
$1.2K 5.4% $70
Groceries & Markets
Muncie, IN
$385
Austin, TX
$410 6.4% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Muncie, IN
$301
Austin, TX
$353 17.1% $52
Eating Out
Muncie, IN
$266
Austin, TX
$348 31% $82
Clothing & Footwear
Muncie, IN
$117
Austin, TX
$128 10.1% $12
Getting Around
Muncie, IN
$76
Austin, TX
$56 26.1% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Muncie, IN
$71
Austin, TX
$81 14.3% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,556 in Muncie, IN and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 59% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $51 in Muncie, IN vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $385 vs $410 per month, with Muncie, IN cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Muncie, IN
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
10:24 10:24 AM
09:24 9:24 AM
1 h behind Muncie, IN
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
65,287
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Muncie, IN Austin, TX 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Muncie, 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
Muncie, IN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Muncie, IN or Austin, TX?
Muncie, 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 Muncie, IN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Muncie, IN or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 37% lower in Muncie, IN. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Muncie, IN compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,556 in Muncie, IN versus $2,112 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 Muncie, IN compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you’ll spend $2,517 per month in Muncie, IN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Muncie, IN compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 30% less than in Muncie, IN. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Muncie, IN or in Austin, TX?
Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Muncie, IN gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.
Which city is better for families?
For families, Muncie, 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.
Should I move to Muncie, IN or to Austin, TX?
It comes down to priorities – Muncie, IN wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.

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