Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Pearland, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Pearland, TX: $2,366 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Pearland, TX, United States
Austin, TX, United States
Pearland, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,366
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,366 in Pearland, TX versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

  • Pearland, TX $2,366
  • Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,373 in Pearland, TX versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

  • Pearland, TX $3,373
  • Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,381 in Pearland, TX versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

  • Pearland, TX $4,381
  • Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Pearland, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pearland, TX 74% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.20 $20.20
$20.35 $20.35
-0.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$75.4 $75.4
$84.7 $84.7
-10.94%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$9.99 $9.99
$12.12 $12.12
-17.57%
Cappuccino
$5.64 $5.64
$5.65 $5.65
-0.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.45 $3.45
$3.68 $3.68
-6.25%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.38 $2.38
$2.36 $2.36
0.85%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.08 $6.08
$7.87 $7.87
-22.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.05 $8.05
$8.82 $8.82
-8.73%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$0.87 $0.87
$1.14 $1.14
-23.68%
White Bread (500g)
$3.40 $3.40
$3.69 $3.69
-7.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.30 $3.30
$3.31 $3.31
-0.30%
Eggs
$3.34 $3.34
$4.15 $4.15
-19.52%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.96 $12.96
$12.98 $12.98
-0.15%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$12.78 $12.78
$13.86 $13.86
-7.79%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.47 $16.47
$16.34 $16.34
0.80%
Apples (1kg)
$4.11 $4.11
$4.69 $4.69
-12.37%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.45 $1.45
0.69%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.05 $3.05
$5.11 $5.11
-40.31%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.81 $3.81
$4.52 $4.52
-15.71%
Potato (1kg)
$2.18 $2.18
$3.08 $3.08
-29.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.31 $2.31
$2.38 $2.38
-2.94%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.89 $1.89
$1.80 $1.80
5.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.18 $2.18
$2.22 $2.22
-1.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.12 $10.12
$9.97 $9.97
1.50%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.43 $14.43
$15.05 $15.05
-4.12%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.45 $2.45
$2.91 $2.91
-15.81%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.08 $3.08
$3.33 $3.33
-7.51%
🚌 Getting Around
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.22 $1.22
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.53 $40.53
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.82 $2.82
$2.78 $2.78
1.44%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.41 $1.41
$1.65 $1.65
-14.55%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$24.10 $24.10
$35.39 $35.39
-31.90%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.90 $0.90
$0.95 $0.95
-5.26%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.2K $34.2K
$34.2K $34.2K
-0.13%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.6K $26.6K
$26.8K $26.8K
-0.55%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$195 $195
$223 $223
-12.69%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$58.5 $58.5
0.77%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.2 $70.2
$71.2 $71.2
-1.43%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$53.0 $53.0
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.75 $16.75
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.02 $14.02
$14.06 $14.06
-0.28%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,450 $1,450
$1,459 $1,459
-0.61%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.4K $21.4K
$21.3K $21.3K
0.24%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$49.24 $49.24
$52.5 $52.5
-6.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.00 $44.00
$42.75 $42.75
2.92%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$86.4 $86.4
0.68%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$94.9 $94.9
$104 $104
-8.60%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,435 $1,435
$2,112 $2,112
-32.06%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,177 $1,177
$1,230 $1,230
-4.37%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,047 $2,047
$3,863 $3,863
-47.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,754 $1,754
$2,407 $2,407
-27.13%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,426 $7,426
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,060 $3,060
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Pearland, TX
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,822 $5,822
$5,179 $5,179
12.41%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.7
6.82
-1.76%

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

Last update for Pearland, TX: 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
Pearland, TX
$1.2K
Austin, TX
$1.2K 4.6% $54
Groceries & Markets
Pearland, TX
$374
Austin, TX
$410 9.5% $36
Eating Out
Pearland, TX
$329
Austin, TX
$348 5.8% $19
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Pearland, TX
$324
Austin, TX
$353 8.9% $29
Clothing & Footwear
Pearland, TX
$124
Austin, TX
$128 3.8% $4.6
Sport & Entertainment
Pearland, TX
$28 *
Austin, TX
$81 189% $53
Getting Around
Pearland, TX
$9.9 *
Austin, TX
$56 471% $47

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 $1,435 in Pearland, TX and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pearland, TX pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75 in Pearland, TX vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $374 vs $410 per month, with Pearland, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Pearland, TX
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
09:13 9:13 AM
09:13 9:13 AM
Same time as Pearland, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
91,000
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Pearland, TX Austin, TX 250 km
From you
  • Pearland, TX
  • 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
Pearland, TX vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Pearland, TX or Austin, TX?
Pearland, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Pearland, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Pearland, TX or in Austin, TX?
Average pay runs 12% higher in Pearland, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Pearland, TX compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,435 in Pearland, TX versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Pearland, TX and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $1,450 in Pearland, TX versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Pearland, TX and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Pearland, TX – a meal for two runs $75 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Pearland, TX or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Pearland, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Pearland, TX or Austin, TX?
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.

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