Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Naperville, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Naperville, IL and in Austin, TX: $2,821 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

Naperville, IL
🇺🇸 United States
$2,821
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,821 in Naperville, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

  • Naperville, IL $2,821
  • Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,974 in Naperville, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

  • Naperville, IL $3,974
  • Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,127 in Naperville, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

  • Naperville, IL $5,127
  • Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Naperville, IL is roughly 5% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Naperville, IL 108% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$14.01 $14.01
$20.63 $20.63
-32.09%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$74.9 $74.9
$84.6 $84.6
-11.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.98 $11.98
$12.07 $12.07
-0.75%
Cappuccino
$5.27 $5.27
$5.48 $5.48
-3.83%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.88 $2.88
$3.80 $3.80
-24.21%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.29 $2.29
$2.47 $2.47
-7.29%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.13 $6.13
$8.05 $8.05
-23.85%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.45 $8.45
$8.88 $8.88
-4.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.78 $0.78
$1.11 $1.11
-29.73%
White Bread (500g)
$2.85 $2.85
$3.72 $3.72
-23.39%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.95 $2.95
$3.37 $3.37
-12.46%
Eggs
$3.52 $3.52
$4.32 $4.32
-18.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.74 $7.74
$13.13 $13.13
-41.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.46 $11.46
$14.15 $14.15
-19.01%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.49 $10.49
$16.33 $16.33
-35.76%
Apples (1kg)
$5.49 $5.49
$4.55 $4.55
20.66%
Banana (1kg)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.46 $1.46
13.70%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.47 $3.47
$4.71 $4.71
-26.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.37 $5.37
$4.15 $4.15
29.40%
Potato (1kg)
$1.70 $1.70
$2.58 $2.58
-34.11%
Onion (1kg)
$3.35 $3.35
$2.35 $2.35
42.55%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.69 $1.69
$1.77 $1.77
-4.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
-
$2.14 $2.14
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$12.21 $12.21
$10.10 $10.10
20.89%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.21 $8.21
$15.19 $15.19
-45.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.76 $1.76
$2.82 $2.82
-37.59%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.99 $3.99
$3.44 $3.44
15.99%
🚌 Getting Around
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.54 $1.54
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$130 $130
$40.99 $40.99
216.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$5.61 $5.61
$2.80 $2.80
100.36%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.91 $2.91
$1.60 $1.60
81.88%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$17.46 $17.46
$34.34 $34.34
-49.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.08 $1.08
$0.94 $0.94
14.89%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$24.4K $24.4K
$34.0K $34.0K
-28.12%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$26.8K $26.8K
-3.67%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$173 $173
$223 $223
-22.26%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$52.4 $52.4
$58.9 $58.9
-11.02%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$51.6 $51.6
$70.6 $70.6
-26.92%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$70.7 $70.7
$57.7 $57.7
22.51%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$15.09 $15.09
$16.53 $16.53
-8.71%
Cinema Ticket
$11.99 $11.99
$14.26 $14.26
-15.92%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,477 $1,477
$1,511 $1,511
-2.22%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$12.7K $12.7K
$20.9K $20.9K
-39.29%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.5 $57.5
$51.3 $51.3
12.23%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$24.78 $24.78
$44.17 $44.17
-43.90%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.4 $87.4
$87.0 $87.0
0.43%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$50.6 $50.6
$104 $104
-51.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,037 $2,037
$1,940 $1,940
4.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 $1,616
$1,316 $1,316
22.80%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,308 $3,308
$3,664 $3,664
-9.72%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,429 $2,429
$2,565 $2,565
-5.30%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,253 $2,253
$7,354 $7,354
-69.37%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,241 $2,241
$3,129 $3,129
-28.37%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Naperville, IL
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$6,526 $6,526
$5,286 $5,286
23.44%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.43
6.79
-5.30%

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

Last update for Naperville, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Naperville, IL
$1.6K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 18.6% $300
Groceries & Markets
Naperville, IL
$304 *
Austin, TX
$406 33.5% $102
Eating Out
Naperville, IL
$280
Austin, TX
$350 25.2% $71
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Naperville, IL
$277
Austin, TX
$352 27.1% $75
Getting Around
Naperville, IL
$150 *
Austin, TX
$58 61.4% $92
Clothing & Footwear
Naperville, IL
$99
Austin, TX
$129 30.2% $30
Sport & Entertainment
Naperville, IL
$95
Austin, TX
$86 8.9% $8.5

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 $2,037 in Naperville, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Naperville, IL pays 23% 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: $75.0 in Naperville, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $304 vs $406 per month, with Naperville, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Naperville, IL
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
21:34 9:34 PM
21:34 9:34 PM
Same time as Naperville, IL
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
149,540
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Naperville, IL Austin, TX 1,540 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Naperville, IL
  • 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
Naperville, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Naperville, IL or Austin, TX?
Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Naperville, IL. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Naperville, IL or in Austin, TX?
Average pay runs 23% higher in Naperville, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Naperville, IL compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,037 in Naperville, IL versus $1,940 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 Naperville, IL compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,821 per month in Naperville, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Naperville, IL compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 217% less than in Naperville, IL. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Naperville, IL or in Austin, TX?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Naperville, IL 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.
How safe is Naperville, IL compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Naperville, IL 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Naperville, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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