Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Muskegon, MI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Muskegon, MI: $1,597 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

78

Cost of Living Index in Muskegon, MI
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Muskegon, MI Living Index
130

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

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Muskegon, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$1,597

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,597 in Muskegon, MI versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Muskegon, MI $1,597
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,471 in Muskegon, MI versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Muskegon, MI $2,471
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,345 in Muskegon, MI versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Muskegon, MI $3,345
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Muskegon, MI costs roughly 40% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Muskegon, MI 18% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.96 $14.96

$20.77 $20.77

-27.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.7 $60.7

$84.6 $84.6

-28.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.55 $8.55

$12.32 $12.32

-30.60%

Cappuccino

$5.17 $5.17

$5.63 $5.63

-8.17%

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

$2.30 $2.30

$3.72 $3.72

-38.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.50 $2.50

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 $6.09

$8.05 $8.05

-24.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$9.01 $9.01

-32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.12 $1.12

-23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 $2.66

$3.75 $3.75

-29.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.26 $3.26

-9.20%

Eggs

$1.97 $1.97

$4.17 $4.17

-52.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.95 $8.95

$12.90 $12.90

-30.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.09 $13.09

$14.16 $14.16

-7.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.79 $14.79

$16.22 $16.22

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$6.95 $6.95

$4.33 $4.33

60.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.46 $1.46

-8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$4.51 $4.51

-19.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.15 $3.15

$4.34 $4.34

-27.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.58 $2.58

-10.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.35 $2.35

12.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.78 $1.78

41.01%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.88 $9.88

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.98 $5.98

$15.08 $15.08

-60.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.92 $2.92

-28.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$3.46 $3.46

-32.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.73 $2.73

6.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.66 $1.66

-8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.86 $26.86

$35.30 $35.30

-23.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.95 $0.95

-6.32%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.89%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.85%

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

$130 $130

$229 $229

-43.02%

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

$30.58 $30.58

$59.4 $59.4

-48.51%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 $58.6

$69.9 $69.9

-16.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.71 $32.71

$57.2 $57.2

-42.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.09 $5.09

$16.33 $16.33

-68.83%

Cinema Ticket

$12.15 $12.15

$14.28 $14.28

-14.92%

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

$2,013 $2,013

$1,506 $1,506

33.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-6.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$26.66 $26.66

$52.8 $52.8

-49.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.15 $30.15

$43.82 $43.82

-31.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$84.8 $84.8

1.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$92.3 $92.3

$103 $103

-10.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$850 $850

$1,907 $1,907

-55.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$600 $600

$1,274 $1,274

-52.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,688 $1,688

$3,664 $3,664

-53.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$2,538 $2,538

-56.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,804 $1,804

$7,614 $7,614

-76.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,826 $1,826

$3,157 $3,157

-42.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,563 $3,563

$5,121 $5,121

-30.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.79

-2.80%

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

Last update for Muskegon, MI: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Muskegon, MI

$600 37.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 112% $674

Groceries & Markets

Muskegon, MI

$338 21.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 19.9% $67

Eating Out

Muskegon, MI

$266 16.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 33% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Muskegon, MI

$220 13.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 63.1% $139

Clothing & Footwear

Muskegon, MI

$106 6.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 20.8% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Muskegon, MI

$57 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 50.5% $29

Getting Around

Muskegon, MI

$11 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 457% $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 $850 in Muskegon, MI and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 44% 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: $61.0 in Muskegon, MI vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $405 per month, with Muskegon, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Muskegon, MI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:09 2:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

1 h behind Muskegon, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,608

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

Muskegon, MI Austin, TX 1,760 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Muskegon, MI
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

Muskegon, MI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Muskegon, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Muskegon, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 44% 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: $850 in Muskegon, MI versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,013 in Muskegon, MI versus $1,506 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 Muskegon, MI – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,597 in Muskegon, MI versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Muskegon, MI but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Muskegon, MI 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 Muskegon, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.