Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,394 in Providence, RI, rent and utilities included – about $8,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

165

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

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

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Providence, RI

🇺🇸 United States

$3,394

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,394 in Providence, RI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Providence, RI $3,394
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,649 in Providence, RI versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Providence, RI $4,649
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,903 in Providence, RI versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Providence, RI $5,903
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Providence, RI is roughly 26% 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: Providence, RI 150% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.01 $18.01

$20.63 $20.63

-12.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$96.2 $96.2

$84.6 $84.6

13.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.64 $13.64

$12.07 $12.07

13.01%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$5.48 $5.48

0.36%

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

$2.96 $2.96

$3.80 $3.80

-22.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.47 $2.47

-20.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$8.05 $8.05

-37.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.01 $8.01

$8.88 $8.88

-9.80%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.06 $1.06

$1.11 $1.11

-4.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.72 $3.72

-13.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$3.37 $3.37

58.75%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$4.32 $4.32

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.41 $11.41

$13.13 $13.13

-13.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.40 $14.40

$14.15 $14.15

1.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.98 $17.98

$16.33 $16.33

10.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.55 $4.55

5.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.46 $1.46

-6.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.71 $4.71

18.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.15 $4.15

13.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$2.58 $2.58

27.91%

Onion (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$2.35 $2.35

52.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.77 $1.77

30.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.14 $2.14

-5.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.46 $13.46

$10.10 $10.10

33.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.30 $13.30

$15.19 $15.19

-12.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.82 $2.82

-27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.44 $3.44

18.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.54 $1.54

33.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.9 $70.9

$40.99 $40.99

73.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.05 $5.05

$2.80 $2.80

80.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.60 $1.60

-11.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.45 $30.45

$34.34 $34.34

-11.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.94 $0.94

15.96%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.18%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.52%

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

$313 $313

$223 $223

40.75%

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

$70.4 $70.4

$58.9 $58.9

19.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$83.6 $83.6

$70.6 $70.6

18.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.9 $56.9

$57.7 $57.7

-1.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$60.8 $60.8

$16.53 $16.53

267.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.60 $14.60

$14.26 $14.26

2.38%

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

$1,477 $1,477

$1,511 $1,511

-2.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K $16.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

-19.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.7 $53.7

$51.3 $51.3

4.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.95 $38.95

$44.17 $44.17

-11.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 $80.2

$87.0 $87.0

-7.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$100 $100

$104 $104

-3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 $2,440

$1,940 $1,940

25.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,897 $1,897

$1,316 $1,316

44.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,174 $3,174

$3,664 $3,664

-13.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,602 $2,602

$2,565 $2,565

1.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,746 $3,746

$7,354 $7,354

-49.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,316 $3,316

$3,129 $3,129

5.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,773 $3,773

$5,286 $5,286

-28.63%

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 Providence, RI: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Providence, RI

$1.9K 55.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 30.6% $581

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Providence, RI

$467 13.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 24.7% $115

Groceries & Markets

Providence, RI

$417 12.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 2.8% $11

Eating Out

Providence, RI

$312 9.2%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 12.2% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Providence, RI

$123 3.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.9% $6.1

Getting Around

Providence, RI

$91 2.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 36.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Providence, RI

$86 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 0.1% $0.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,440 in Providence, RI and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $96.0 in Providence, RI vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $417 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Providence, RI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:32 8:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

1 h behind Providence, RI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

179,472

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Providence, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Providence, 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 40% 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: $2,440 in Providence, 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 $3,394 per month in Providence, RI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 73% less than in Providence, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Providence, RI. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.