Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,841 in Northampton, MA, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Northampton, MA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

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

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

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Northampton, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,841

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,841 in Northampton, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Northampton, MA $2,841
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,134 in Northampton, MA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Northampton, MA $4,134
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,427 in Northampton, MA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Northampton, MA $5,427
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Northampton, MA is roughly 9% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Northampton, MA 109% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.78 $17.78

$20.35 $20.35

-12.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$84.7 $84.7

-6.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.69 $10.69

$12.12 $12.12

-11.80%

Cappuccino

$4.60 $4.60

$5.65 $5.65

-18.58%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$3.68 $3.68

-23.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.36 $2.36

-3.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$7.87 $7.87

-35.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.82 $8.82

-11.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.14 $1.14

-5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.69 $3.69

9.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$3.31 $3.31

64.35%

Eggs

$4.77 $4.77

$4.15 $4.15

14.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.23 $11.23

$12.98 $12.98

-13.48%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$13.86 $13.86

-51.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.52 $17.52

$16.34 $16.34

7.22%

Apples (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.69 $4.69

25.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.45 $1.45

10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$5.11 $5.11

-13.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.41 $5.41

$4.52 $4.52

19.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.08 $3.08

4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.38 $2.38

59.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.80 $1.80

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.80 $13.80

$9.97 $9.97

38.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.27 $13.27

$15.05 $15.05

-11.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.91 $2.91

-37.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$3.33 $3.33

-39.64%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$0.95 $0.95

-9.47%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.52%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.21%

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

$131 $131

$223 $223

-41.21%

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

$62.0 $62.0

$58.5 $58.5

6.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.5 $72.5

$71.2 $71.2

1.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.6 $51.6

$53.0 $53.0

-2.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.45 $14.45

$14.06 $14.06

2.77%

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

$1,815 $1,815

$1,459 $1,459

24.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K $29.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

37.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$23.49 $23.49

$52.5 $52.5

-55.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.76 $38.76

$42.75 $42.75

-9.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$86.4 $86.4

-8.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$104 $104

-2.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,048 $2,048

$2,112 $2,112

-3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,730 $1,730

$1,230 $1,230

40.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,608 $2,608

$3,863 $3,863

-32.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,862 $2,862

$2,407 $2,407

18.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,821 $2,821

$3,060 $3,060

-7.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,930 $3,930

$5,179 $5,179

-24.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for Northampton, MA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Northampton, MA

$1.7K 60.9%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 28.9% $500

Groceries & Markets

Northampton, MA

$365 * 12.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 12.3% $45

Eating Out

Northampton, MA

$291 10.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 19.7% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Northampton, MA

$266 9.4%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 32.8% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Northampton, MA

$109 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 17.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Northampton, MA

$81 2.8%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 0.8% $0.6

Getting Around

Northampton, MA

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

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 $2,048 in Northampton, MA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 32% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79 in Northampton, MA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $410 per month, with Northampton, MA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Northampton, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

16:06 4:06 PM

1 h behind Northampton, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,549

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Northampton, MA Austin, TX 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Northampton, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Northampton, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% lower in Northampton, MA. 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: $2,048 in Northampton, MA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,815 in Northampton, MA versus $1,459 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 Northampton, MA – a meal for two runs $79 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.