Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Portland, ME and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,262 in Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

158

Cost of Living Index in Portland, ME
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Portland, ME Living Index
125

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

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Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,262

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,262 in Portland, ME versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Portland, ME $3,262
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Portland, ME versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Portland, ME $4,710
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,158 in Portland, ME versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Portland, ME $6,158
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Portland, ME is roughly 25% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Portland, ME 140% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.87 $24.87

$20.35 $20.35

22.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$84.7 $84.7

41.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$12.12 $12.12

22.61%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.65 $5.65

8.32%

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

$3.01 $3.01

$3.68 $3.68

-18.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 $2.36

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.87 $7.87

2.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$8.82 $8.82

-8.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.14 $1.14

-3.51%

White Bread (500g)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.69 $3.69

25.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.56 $8.56

$3.31 $3.31

158.61%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.15 $4.15

-5.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.77 $18.77

$12.98 $12.98

44.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.33 $10.33

$13.86 $13.86

-25.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$16.34 $16.34

0.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$4.69 $4.69

-1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.45 $1.45

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.85 $5.85

$5.11 $5.11

14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$4.52 $4.52

51.33%

Potato (1kg)

$6.36 $6.36

$3.08 $3.08

106.49%

Onion (1kg)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.38 $2.38

59.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.80 $1.80

77.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.22 $2.22

14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.97 $9.97

21.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$15.05 $15.05

0.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.88 $1.88

$2.91 $2.91

-35.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.33 $3.33

-23.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.22 $1.22

62.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$60.5 $60.5

$40.53 $40.53

49.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.78 $2.78

-27.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.65 $1.65

-4.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.80 $10.80

$35.39 $35.39

-69.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 $0.95

9.47%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.44%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.43%

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

$224 $224

$223 $223

0.34%

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

$69.5 $69.5

$58.5 $58.5

18.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.4 $76.4

$71.2 $71.2

7.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.8 $51.8

$53.0 $53.0

-2.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$39.22 $39.22

$16.75 $16.75

134.15%

Cinema Ticket

$13.96 $13.96

$14.06 $14.06

-0.71%

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

$1,263 $1,263

$1,459 $1,459

-13.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.7 $52.7

$52.5 $52.5

0.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.2 $81.2

$42.75 $42.75

90.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.4 $86.4

18.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 $133

$104 $104

27.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 $2,102

$2,112 $2,112

-0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$1,230 $1,230

38.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,156 $3,156

$3,863 $3,863

-18.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,524 $2,524

$2,407 $2,407

4.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,509 $5,509

$7,426 $7,426

-25.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,978 $3,978

$3,060 $3,060

29.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,598 $4,598

$5,179 $5,179

-11.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.5

6.82

-4.69%

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

Last update for Portland, ME: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Portland, ME

$1.7K 52.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 27.7% $472

Groceries & Markets

Portland, ME

$470 14.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 12.8% $60

Eating Out

Portland, ME

$395 12.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 11.9% $47

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Portland, ME

$370 11.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 4.6% $17

Clothing & Footwear

Portland, ME

$166 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 22.6% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Portland, ME

$80 2.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 1.9% $1.5

Getting Around

Portland, ME

$78 2.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 27.9% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,102 in Portland, ME and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 13% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $120 in Portland, ME vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Portland, ME

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

23:40 11:40 PM

1 h behind Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

652,503

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Portland, ME Austin, TX 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Portland, ME
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

Portland, ME vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Portland, ME. 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 11% lower in Portland, ME. 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: $2,102 in Portland, ME versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,262 per month in Portland, ME versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 20% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 33% less than in Portland, ME. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.