Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Plainfield, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Plainfield, IL and in Austin, TX: $2,602 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Plainfield, IL
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Plainfield, IL Living Index
130

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

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Plainfield, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$2,602

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,602 in Plainfield, IL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Plainfield, IL $2,602
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,638 in Plainfield, IL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Plainfield, IL $3,638
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,674 in Plainfield, IL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Plainfield, IL $4,674
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Plainfield, IL costs roughly 2% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Plainfield, IL 93% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.29 $15.29

$20.77 $20.77

-26.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$84.6 $84.6

-11.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$12.32 $12.32

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.63 $5.63

-7.99%

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

$2.79 $2.79

$3.72 $3.72

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.50 $2.50

-9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.97 $5.97

$8.05 $8.05

-25.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.96 $7.96

$9.01 $9.01

-11.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 $0.82

$1.12 $1.12

-26.79%

White Bread (500g)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.75 $3.75

-26.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$3.26 $3.26

-3.68%

Eggs

$3.91 $3.91

$4.17 $4.17

-6.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.77 $8.77

$12.90 $12.90

-32.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.01 $9.01

$14.16 $14.16

-36.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$16.22 $16.22

-20.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.33 $4.33

0.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$4.51 $4.51

-28.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$4.34 $4.34

-50.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.58 $2.58

-19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.35 $2.35

-5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.78 $1.78

11.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 $1.21

$2.22 $2.22

-45.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.98 $6.98

$9.88 $9.88

-29.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.92 $9.92

$15.08 $15.08

-34.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.92 $2.92

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.46 $3.46

-15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.73 $2.73

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.66 $1.66

-8.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.95 $0.95

23.16%

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

$24.1K $24.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-33.15%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.75%

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

$174 $174

$229 $229

-23.93%

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

$44.41 $44.41

$59.4 $59.4

-25.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.1 $52.1

$69.9 $69.9

-25.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.43 $11.43

$14.28 $14.28

-19.96%

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

$996 $996

$1,506 $1,506

-33.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

-6.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.51 $49.51

$52.8 $52.8

-6.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$84.8 $84.8

5.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$103 $103

18.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,582 $1,582

$1,907 $1,907

-17.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,596 $1,596

$1,274 $1,274

25.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 $2,448

$3,664 $3,664

-33.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,402 $2,402

$2,538 $2,538

-5.36%

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)

$6,883 $6,883

$5,121 $5,121

34.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.43

6.79

-5.30%

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

Last update for Plainfield, IL: 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

Plainfield, IL

$1.6K 61.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 20.2% $322

Groceries & Markets

Plainfield, IL

$299 11.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 35.5% $106

Eating Out

Plainfield, IL

$286 11%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 23.7% $68

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Plainfield, IL

$271 10.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 32.4% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Plainfield, IL

$117 * 4.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 9% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Plainfield, IL

$23 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 275% $63

Getting Around

Plainfield, IL

$10 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 482% $49

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 $1,582 in Plainfield, IL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Plainfield, IL pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Plainfield, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $299 vs $405 per month, with Plainfield, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Plainfield, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:21 4:21 AM

Same time as Plainfield, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

40,466

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

Plainfield, IL Austin, TX 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Plainfield, IL
Austin, TX

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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

Plainfield, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Plainfield, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Plainfield, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Plainfield, IL, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,582 in Plainfield, IL versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $996 in Plainfield, IL 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 Plainfield, IL – a meal for two runs $75.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,602 in Plainfield, IL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Plainfield, IL but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Plainfield, IL the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Plainfield, IL and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Plainfield, IL gentler on the wallet – expenses run 2% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.