Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Paterson, NJ and in Austin, TX: $2,743 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

134

Cost of Living Index in Paterson, NJ
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Paterson, NJ Living Index
130

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

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Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,743

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,743 in Paterson, NJ versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Paterson, NJ $2,743
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,154 in Paterson, NJ versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Paterson, NJ $4,154
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,565 in Paterson, NJ versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Paterson, NJ $5,565
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Paterson, NJ is roughly 3% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paterson, NJ 103% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.81 $18.81

$20.77 $20.77

-9.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.0 $79.0

$84.6 $84.6

-6.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.90 $13.90

$12.32 $12.32

12.82%

Cappuccino

$6.31 $6.31

$5.63 $5.63

12.08%

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

$2.81 $2.81

$3.72 $3.72

-24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.50 $2.50

17.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.60 $8.60

$8.05 $8.05

6.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.80 $6.80

$9.01 $9.01

-24.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 $1.12

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.75 $3.75

20.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.26 $3.26

82.82%

Eggs

$5.98 $5.98

$4.17 $4.17

43.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.00 $14.00

$12.90 $12.90

8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.39 $10.39

$14.16 $14.16

-26.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.68 $18.68

$16.22 $16.22

15.17%

Apples (1kg)

$5.89 $5.89

$4.33 $4.33

36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$1.46 $1.46

49.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.51 $4.51

-3.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.34 $4.34

25.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.58 $2.58

19.77%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.35 $2.35

29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.78 $1.78

57.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.22 $2.22

15.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.67 $17.67

$9.88 $9.88

78.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.24 $15.24

$15.08 $15.08

1.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.92 $2.92

-36.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.46 $3.46

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.73 $2.73

6.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.66 $1.66

29.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.52 $42.52

$35.30 $35.30

20.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$0.95 $0.95

21.05%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.16%

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

$24.8K $24.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.47%

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

$172 $172

$229 $229

-24.86%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$59.4 $59.4

-12.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.34 $49.34

$69.9 $69.9

-29.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$20.15 $20.15

$14.28 $14.28

41.11%

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

$1,984 $1,984

$1,506 $1,506

31.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.0K $16.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-25.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.02 $49.02

$52.8 $52.8

-7.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 $52.5

$43.82 $43.82

19.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 $111

$84.8 $84.8

31.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$101 $101

$103 $103

-2.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,481 $2,481

$1,907 $1,907

30.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,480 $1,480

$1,274 $1,274

16.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,436 $3,436

$3,664 $3,664

-6.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,706 $2,706

$2,538 $2,538

6.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,166 $3,166

$5,121 $5,121

-38.18%

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 Paterson, NJ: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Paterson, NJ

$1.5K 54%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 13.9% $206

Groceries & Markets

Paterson, NJ

$447 16.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 9.5% $43

Eating Out

Paterson, NJ

$347 12.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1.8% $6.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paterson, NJ

$273 10%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 31.1% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Paterson, NJ

$141 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 9.3% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Paterson, NJ

$40 * 1.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 113% $45

Getting Around

Paterson, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 330% $45

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 $2,481 in Paterson, NJ and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 62% 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 Paterson, NJ vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $447 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paterson, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:12 12:12 PM

11:12 11:12 AM

1 h behind Paterson, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

147,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Paterson, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Paterson, 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 62% 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: $2,481 in Paterson, NJ versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,984 in Paterson, NJ versus $1,506 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $79.0 in Paterson, NJ. 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Paterson, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.