Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between New York, NY and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,950 in New York, NY, rent and utilities included – about $27,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

239

Cost of Living Index in New York, NY
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New York, NY Living Index
130

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

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New York, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$4,950

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,950 in New York, NY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

New York, NY $4,950
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,265 in New York, NY versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

New York, NY $7,265
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,581 in New York, NY versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

New York, NY $9,581
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in New York, NY is roughly 86% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: New York, NY 267% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.65 $24.65

$20.77 $20.77

18.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$84.6 $84.6

43.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.91 $13.91

$12.32 $12.32

12.91%

Cappuccino

$6.59 $6.59

$5.63 $5.63

17.05%

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

$3.84 $3.84

$3.72 $3.72

3.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 $2.87

$2.50 $2.50

14.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.79 $7.79

$8.05 $8.05

-3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.85 $9.85

$9.01 $9.01

9.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.12 $1.12

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.68 $4.68

$3.75 $3.75

24.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.54 $7.54

$3.26 $3.26

131.29%

Eggs

$5.93 $5.93

$4.17 $4.17

42.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$12.90 $12.90

45.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.36 $17.36

$14.16 $14.16

22.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.51 $18.51

$16.22 $16.22

14.12%

Apples (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.33 $4.33

55.66%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.46 $1.46

43.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.51 $4.51

34.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.74 $6.74

$4.34 $4.34

55.30%

Potato (1kg)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.58 $2.58

56.98%

Onion (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.35 $2.35

85.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.78 $1.78

62.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$2.22 $2.22

17.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$18.72 $18.72

$9.88 $9.88

89.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.06 $20.06

$15.08 $15.08

33.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.92 $2.92

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.73 $3.73

$3.46 $3.46

7.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.49 $1.49

105.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$140 $140

$41.72 $41.72

236.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.73 $2.73

11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.66 $1.66

29.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.82 $41.82

$35.30 $35.30

18.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.95 $0.95

17.89%

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

$35.5K $35.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-1.66%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.82%

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

$219 $219

$229 $229

-4.36%

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

$73.2 $73.2

$59.4 $59.4

23.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.0 $72.0

$69.9 $69.9

2.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$123 $123

$57.2 $57.2

114.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.7 $67.7

$16.33 $16.33

314.39%

Cinema Ticket

$22.85 $22.85

$14.28 $14.28

60.01%

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

$3,333 $3,333

$1,506 $1,506

121.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$60.0K $60.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

179.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.2 $75.2

$52.8 $52.8

42.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.4 $52.4

$43.82 $43.82

19.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 $122

$84.8 $84.8

43.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$103 $103

29.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,389 $4,389

$1,907 $1,907

130.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,130 $3,130

$1,274 $1,274

145.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$8,918 $8,918

$3,664 $3,664

143.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,354 $5,354

$2,538 $2,538

110.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$19.4K $19.4K

$7,614 $7,614

154.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,806 $6,806

$3,157 $3,157

115.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,343 $5,343

$5,121 $5,121

4.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for New York, NY: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

New York, NY

$3.1K 63.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 59.3% $1.9K

Groceries & Markets

New York, NY

$545 11%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 25.8% $140

Eating Out

New York, NY

$404 8.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 12.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

New York, NY

$364 7.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1.6% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

New York, NY

$172 3.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 25.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

New York, NY

$168 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 49.1% $83

Getting Around

New York, NY

$167 3.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 64.8% $108

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $4,389 in New York, NY and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

New York, NY pays 4% 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: $122 in New York, NY vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $545 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 New York, NY

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:57 8:57 AM

07:57 7:57 AM

1 h behind New York, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,804,190

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 York, NY Austin, TX 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

New York, NY
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 York, NY vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 86% lower than in New York, NY. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 4% higher in New York, NY, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $4,389 in New York, NY versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,950 per month in New York, NY versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 86% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 237% less than in New York, NY. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 86% less than in New York, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.