Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Arthur, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Arthur, TX: $2,575 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Port Arthur, TX
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Port Arthur, TX Living Index
129

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

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Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,575

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,575 in Port Arthur, TX versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Port Arthur, TX $2,575
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,774 in Port Arthur, TX versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Port Arthur, TX $3,774
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,973 in Port Arthur, TX versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Port Arthur, TX $4,973
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Port Arthur, TX costs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Arthur, TX 92% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.24 $19.24

$20.22 $20.22

-4.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$85.0 $85.0

-11.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 $10.90

$12.35 $12.35

-11.74%

Cappuccino

$5.10 $5.10

$5.47 $5.47

-6.76%

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

$2.59 $2.59

$3.82 $3.82

-32.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.50 $2.50

-19.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.87 $5.87

$8.06 $8.06

-27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$8.99 $8.99

-22.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.13 $1.13

-11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.78 $3.78

-9.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.27 $4.27

$3.25 $3.25

31.38%

Eggs

$4.23 $4.23

$4.14 $4.14

2.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.43 $12.43

$13.08 $13.08

-4.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$14.31 $14.31

-20.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.29 $15.29

$15.96 $15.96

-4.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.38 $4.38

10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.45 $1.45

11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.30 $4.30

$4.54 $4.54

-5.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.19 $4.19

14.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.63 $2.63

11.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.36 $2.36

22.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.10 $2.10

$1.76 $1.76

19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.16 $2.16

-2.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 $9.47

$9.81 $9.81

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.72 $14.72

-3.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.78 $2.78

-33.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.48 $3.48

-5.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.67 $2.67

30.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.58 $1.58

-0.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.52 $29.52

$35.29 $35.29

-16.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.84 $0.84

$0.99 $0.99

-15.15%

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

$30.2K $30.2K

$35.8K $35.8K

-15.78%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.2K $27.2K

-7.04%

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

$189 $189

$219 $219

-13.60%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$58.0 $58.0

-10.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.0 $68.0

$68.4 $68.4

-0.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.25 $42.25

$57.9 $57.9

-27.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$13.55 $13.55

$14.13 $14.13

-4.10%

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

$1,287 $1,287

$1,509 $1,509

-14.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.3K $23.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

8.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$51.7 $51.7

-2.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.74 $40.74

$44.05 $44.05

-7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.0 $85.0

$85.1 $85.1

-0.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$105 $105

7.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 $1,617

$1,932 $1,932

-16.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 $1,371

$1,272 $1,272

7.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$3,670 $3,670

-29.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 $2,223

$2,525 $2,525

-11.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,739 $2,739

$7,617 $7,617

-64.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,441 $2,441

$3,199 $3,199

-23.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.79

-4.12%

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

Last update for Port Arthur, TX: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Arthur, TX

$1.4K 52.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 7.2% $98

Groceries & Markets

Port Arthur, TX

$386 14.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 4.4% $17

Eating Out

Port Arthur, TX

$309 11.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 12.5% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Arthur, TX

$309 11.9%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 11.8% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Port Arthur, TX

$130 5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 1.1% $1.5

Sport & Entertainment

Port Arthur, TX

$69 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 24.2% $17

Getting Around

Port Arthur, TX

$19 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 198% $38

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 $1,617 in Port Arthur, TX and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $75.0 in Port Arthur, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $403 per month, with Port Arthur, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Port Arthur, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:07 1:07 AM

Same time as Port Arthur, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

54,135

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Port Arthur, TX Austin, TX 370 km

From you

Port Arthur, 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

Port Arthur, TX vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Port Arthur, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Port Arthur, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,863 in Port Arthur, TX and $4,055 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,617 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,287 in Port Arthur, TX versus $1,509 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 Port Arthur, TX – 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.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Port Arthur, 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 Port Arthur, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.