Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New Bern, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in New Bern, NC: $2,058 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in New Bern, NC
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New Bern, NC Living Index
129

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

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New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,058

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,058 in New Bern, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

New Bern, NC $2,058
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,317 in New Bern, NC versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

New Bern, NC $3,317
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,576 in New Bern, NC versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

New Bern, NC $4,576
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in New Bern, NC costs roughly 24% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New Bern, NC 52% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.97 $17.97

$20.63 $20.63

-12.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 $84.1

$84.6 $84.6

-0.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.93 $11.93

$12.07 $12.07

-1.16%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.48 $5.48

-4.38%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.80 $3.80

-25.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.47 $2.47

-3.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.16 $6.16

$8.05 $8.05

-23.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$8.88 $8.88

-21.06%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.11 $1.11

-14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.23 $3.23

$3.72 $3.72

-13.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.37 $3.37

57.86%

Eggs

$3.43 $3.43

$4.32 $4.32

-20.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.14 $13.14

$13.13 $13.13

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.73 $10.73

$14.15 $14.15

-24.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.34 $15.34

$16.33 $16.33

-6.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.55 $4.55

12.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.46 $1.46

-14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$4.71 $4.71

-41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.15 $4.15

31.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.58 $2.58

9.69%

Onion (1kg)

$2.76 $2.76

$2.35 $2.35

17.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.77 $1.77

7.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.14 $2.14

2.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.51 $7.51

$10.10 $10.10

-25.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.76 $12.76

$15.19 $15.19

-16.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.82 $2.82

-34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$3.44 $3.44

-40.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 $3.54

$2.80 $2.80

26.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.60 $1.60

41.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.74 $32.74

$34.34 $34.34

-4.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$0.94 $0.94

-7.45%

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

$28.0K $28.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.67%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-11.84%

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

$155 $155

$223 $223

-30.45%

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

$72.5 $72.5

$58.9 $58.9

23.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.3 $70.3

$70.6 $70.6

-0.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.1 $54.1

$57.7 $57.7

-6.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$11.23 $11.23

$14.26 $14.26

-21.25%

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

$1,511 $1,511

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.2 $60.2

$51.3 $51.3

17.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.46 $35.46

$44.17 $44.17

-19.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.3 $86.3

$87.0 $87.0

-0.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$88.4 $88.4

$104 $104

-15.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,157 $1,157

$1,940 $1,940

-40.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$865 $865

$1,316 $1,316

-34.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,198 $2,198

$3,664 $3,664

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,860 $1,860

$2,565 $2,565

-27.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,070 $2,070

$7,354 $7,354

-71.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,051 $2,051

$3,129 $3,129

-34.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,632 $3,632

$5,286 $5,286

-31.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.79

-4.12%

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

Last update for New Bern, NC: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New Bern, NC

$865 42%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 52.1% $451

Groceries & Markets

New Bern, NC

$374 18.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8.5% $32

Eating Out

New Bern, NC

$308 15%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 13.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New Bern, NC

$298 14.5%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 18.3% $54

Clothing & Footwear

New Bern, NC

$122 5.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 6.1% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

New Bern, NC

$77 3.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 12.6% $9.6

Getting Around

New Bern, NC

$15 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 289% $43

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 $1,157 in New Bern, NC and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 46% 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: $84.0 in New Bern, NC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $406 per month, with New Bern, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New Bern, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

08:59 8:59 AM

1 h behind New Bern, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

31,291

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

New Bern, NC Austin, TX 2,010 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

New Bern, NC
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

New Bern, NC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

New Bern, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making New Bern, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 46% 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: $1,157 in New Bern, NC versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,058 per month in New Bern, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $2,058 in New Bern, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in New Bern, NC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes New Bern, NC 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 New Bern, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.