Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Passaic, NJ and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Passaic, NJ and in Austin, TX: $2,737 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

133

Cost of Living Index in Passaic, NJ
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Passaic, NJ Living Index
129

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

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Passaic, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,737

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,737 in Passaic, NJ versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Passaic, NJ $2,737
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,186 in Passaic, NJ versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Passaic, NJ $4,186
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,634 in Passaic, NJ versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Passaic, NJ $5,634
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Passaic, NJ is roughly 1% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Passaic, NJ 102% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.76 $18.76

$20.63 $20.63

-9.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.1 $79.1

$84.6 $84.6

-6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.18 $13.18

$12.07 $12.07

9.20%

Cappuccino

$6.27 $6.27

$5.48 $5.48

14.42%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$3.80 $3.80

-33.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.47 $2.47

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.05 $8.05

-2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.16 $7.16

$8.88 $8.88

-19.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.11 $1.11

18.92%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.72 $3.72

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$3.37 $3.37

84.57%

Eggs

$6.20 $6.20

$4.32 $4.32

43.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$13.13 $13.13

46.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 $10.40

$14.15 $14.15

-26.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.83 $18.83

$16.33 $16.33

15.31%

Apples (1kg)

$6.11 $6.11

$4.55 $4.55

34.29%

Banana (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.46 $1.46

46.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.71 $4.71

-6.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.15 $4.15

29.16%

Potato (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.58 $2.58

57.36%

Onion (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.35 $2.35

84.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.77 $1.77

72.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.14 $2.14

36.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.77 $14.77

$10.10 $10.10

46.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.82 $2.82

-36.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.44 $3.44

5.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.54 $1.54

26.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$120 $120

$40.99 $40.99

193.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.80 $2.80

6.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.60 $1.60

39.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.30 $41.30

$34.34 $34.34

20.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.94 $0.94

21.28%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.81%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.68%

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

$174 $174

$223 $223

-21.93%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$58.9 $58.9

-14.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.8 $50.8

$70.6 $70.6

-28.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.15 $41.15

$57.7 $57.7

-28.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$20.62 $20.62

$14.26 $14.26

44.60%

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

$1,988 $1,988

$1,511 $1,511

31.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.1K $16.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

-23.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$51.3 $51.3

-2.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.7 $51.7

$44.17 $44.17

17.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.9 $87.9

$87.0 $87.0

1.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 $104

-1.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,816 $1,816

$1,940 $1,940

-6.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,295 $1,295

$1,316 $1,316

-1.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,533 $2,533

$3,664 $3,664

-30.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,403 $2,403

$2,565 $2,565

-6.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,576 $2,576

$7,354 $7,354

-64.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,362 $2,362

$3,129 $3,129

-24.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,739 $3,739

$5,286 $5,286

-29.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.79

0.15%

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

Last update for Passaic, NJ: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Passaic, NJ

$1.3K 47.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 1.6% $21

Groceries & Markets

Passaic, NJ

$475 17.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 14.6% $69

Eating Out

Passaic, NJ

$335 12.2%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 4.6% $15

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Passaic, NJ

$275 10.1%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 27.9% $77

Getting Around

Passaic, NJ

$142 5.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 59.3% $84

Clothing & Footwear

Passaic, NJ

$132 4.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 2.1% $2.8

Sport & Entertainment

Passaic, NJ

$82 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 4.7% $3.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,816 in Passaic, NJ and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 41% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Passaic, NJ vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $475 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Passaic, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:35 12:35 AM

23:35 11:35 PM

1 h behind Passaic, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

67,974

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

Passaic, NJ Austin, TX 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Passaic, NJ
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

Passaic, NJ vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Passaic, NJ. 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 41% 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: $1,816 in Passaic, NJ 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 $2,737 per month in Passaic, NJ versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 194% less than in Passaic, NJ. 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 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Passaic, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.