Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pawtucket, RI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,880 in Pawtucket, RI, rent and utilities included – about $2,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

138

Cost of Living Index in Pawtucket, RI
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Pawtucket, RI Living Index
129

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

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Pawtucket, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,880

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,880 in Pawtucket, RI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Pawtucket, RI $2,880
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,316 in Pawtucket, RI versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Pawtucket, RI $4,316
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,752 in Pawtucket, RI versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Pawtucket, RI $5,752
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Pawtucket, RI is roughly 7% 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: Pawtucket, RI 113% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.84 $29.84

$20.63 $20.63

44.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.2 $94.2

$84.6 $84.6

11.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.28 $13.28

$12.07 $12.07

10.02%

Cappuccino

$5.57 $5.57

$5.48 $5.48

1.64%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.80 $3.80

-21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.47 $2.47

-6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$8.05 $8.05

-2.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$8.88 $8.88

-10.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.11 $1.11

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.05 $4.05

$3.72 $3.72

8.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$3.37 $3.37

61.13%

Eggs

$4.70 $4.70

$4.32 $4.32

8.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.49 $14.49

$13.13 $13.13

10.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$14.15 $14.15

-0.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.88 $17.88

$16.33 $16.33

9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$6.53 $6.53

$4.55 $4.55

43.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.46 $1.46

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.71 $4.71

13.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.15 $4.15

61.93%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.58 $2.58

-38.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.35 $2.35

19.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.77 $1.77

64.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.14 $2.14

40.65%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.24 $13.24

$10.10 $10.10

31.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.13 $14.13

$15.19 $15.19

-6.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.82 $2.82

8.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.44 $3.44

18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.54 $1.54

27.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.4 $69.4

$40.99 $40.99

69.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.80 $2.80

-4.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.60 $1.60

8.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.88 $27.88

$34.34 $34.34

-18.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$0.94 $0.94

13.83%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.17%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.25%

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

$293 $293

$223 $223

31.50%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$58.9 $58.9

18.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$86.1 $86.1

$70.6 $70.6

21.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.20 $25.20

$57.7 $57.7

-56.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.41 $14.41

$14.26 $14.26

1.05%

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

$1,859 $1,859

$1,511 $1,511

23.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.5K $30.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

45.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.7 $57.7

$51.3 $51.3

12.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.99 $39.99

$44.17 $44.17

-9.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 $90.4

$87.0 $87.0

3.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$147 $147

$104 $104

41.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,574 $1,574

$1,940 $1,940

-18.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,249 $1,249

$1,316 $1,316

-5.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,355 $2,355

$3,664 $3,664

-35.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,210 $2,210

$2,565 $2,565

-13.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,283 $4,283

$5,286 $5,286

-18.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.79

-2.21%

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

Last update for Pawtucket, RI: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pawtucket, RI

$1.2K 43.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 5.4% $67

Groceries & Markets

Pawtucket, RI

$467 16.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 13.1% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pawtucket, RI

$449 15.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 21.5% $97

Eating Out

Pawtucket, RI

$422 14.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 17% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Pawtucket, RI

$151 5.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 14.4% $22

Getting Around

Pawtucket, RI

$89 3.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 34.6% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Pawtucket, RI

$54 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 59.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,574 in Pawtucket, RI and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 23% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $94.0 in Pawtucket, RI vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pawtucket, RI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

1 h behind Pawtucket, RI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,998

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pawtucket, RI Austin, TX 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Pawtucket, RI
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

Pawtucket, RI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Pawtucket, RI. 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 23% 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: $1,574 in Pawtucket, RI 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 $2,880 per month in Pawtucket, RI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 69% less than in Pawtucket, RI. 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 7% less than in Pawtucket, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.