Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newton, MA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,453 in Newton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

167

Cost of Living Index in Newton, MA
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Newton, MA Living Index
125

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

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Newton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,453

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,453 in Newton, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Newton, MA $3,453
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,901 in Newton, MA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Newton, MA $5,901
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,348 in Newton, MA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Newton, MA $8,348
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Newton, MA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newton, MA 154% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.44 $27.44

$20.35 $20.35

34.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$121 $121

$84.7 $84.7

42.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.12 $12.12

-1.40%

Cappuccino

$6.02 $6.02

$5.65 $5.65

6.55%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$3.68 $3.68

-19.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.36 $2.36

-6.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$7.87 $7.87

3.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$8.82 $8.82

-9.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.14 $1.14

6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.69 $3.69

27.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.13 $7.13

$3.31 $3.31

115.41%

Eggs

$4.24 $4.24

$4.15 $4.15

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.23 $19.23

$12.98 $12.98

48.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.89 $10.89

$13.86 $13.86

-21.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.19 $16.19

$16.34 $16.34

-0.92%

Apples (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.69 $4.69

8.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.45 $1.45

15.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$5.11 $5.11

9.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.52 $4.52

46.24%

Potato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.08 $3.08

43.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.38 $2.38

65.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.80 $1.80

63.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.22 $2.22

17.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.97 $9.97

29.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.54 $15.54

$15.05 $15.05

3.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.91 $2.91

-35.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.61 $2.61

$3.33 $3.33

-21.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.22 $1.22

98.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.7 $91.7

$40.53 $40.53

126.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.78 $2.78

-26.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.65 $1.65

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.93 $10.93

$35.39 $35.39

-69.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.95 $0.95

4.21%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.04%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.54%

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

$243 $243

$223 $223

8.76%

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

$54.1 $54.1

$58.5 $58.5

-7.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.3 $76.3

$71.2 $71.2

7.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.9 $63.9

$53.0 $53.0

20.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 $16.11

$14.06 $14.06

14.58%

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

$2,654 $2,654

$1,459 $1,459

81.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.3K $21.3K

69.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.0 $74.0

$52.5 $52.5

40.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.8 $50.8

$42.75 $42.75

18.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 $112

$86.4 $86.4

30.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$104 $104

28.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 $1,848

$2,112 $2,112

-12.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,835 $1,835

$1,230 $1,230

49.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,035 $5,035

$3,863 $3,863

30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,638 $4,638

$2,407 $2,407

92.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,704 $5,704

$7,426 $7,426

-23.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,898 $4,898

$3,060 $3,060

60.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,975 $7,975

$5,179 $5,179

53.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.82

-2.35%

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

Last update for Newton, MA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newton, MA

$1.8K 53.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 32.9% $604

Groceries & Markets

Newton, MA

$466 13.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 12.2% $57

Eating Out

Newton, MA

$405 11.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 14% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newton, MA

$373 10.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 5.5% $20

Clothing & Footwear

Newton, MA

$167 4.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 22.9% $38

Getting Around

Newton, MA

$111 3.2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 49.3% $55

Sport & Entertainment

Newton, MA

$96 2.8%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 15.5% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,848 in Newton, MA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newton, MA pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $121 in Newton, MA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $466 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newton, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

03:34 3:34 AM

1 h behind Newton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,146

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Newton, MA Austin, TX 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Newton, MA
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

Newton, MA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Newton, MA. 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 54% higher in Newton, MA, 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: $1,848 in Newton, MA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,453 per month in Newton, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 56% less than in Newton, MA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Newton, MA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.