Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Queens, NY and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,339 in Queens, NY, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

160

Cost of Living Index in Queens, NY
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Queens, NY Living Index
129

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

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Queens, NY

🇺🇸 United States

$3,339

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,339 in Queens, NY versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Queens, NY $3,339
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,831 in Queens, NY versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Queens, NY $4,831
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,323 in Queens, NY versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Queens, NY $6,323
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Queens, NY is roughly 24% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Queens, NY 146% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.16 $19.16

$20.63 $20.63

-7.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$84.6 $84.6

-5.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.04 $13.04

$12.07 $12.07

8.04%

Cappuccino

$6.18 $6.18

$5.48 $5.48

12.77%

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

$2.53 $2.53

$3.80 $3.80

-33.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.47 $2.47

-39.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.25 $9.25

$8.05 $8.05

14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 $6.93

$8.88 $8.88

-21.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.11 $1.11

14.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.72 $3.72

17.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.02 $6.02

$3.37 $3.37

78.64%

Eggs

$6.88 $6.88

$4.32 $4.32

59.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.73 $13.73

$13.13 $13.13

4.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.31 $10.31

$14.15 $14.15

-27.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.51 $19.51

$16.33 $16.33

19.47%

Apples (1kg)

$5.99 $5.99

$4.55 $4.55

31.65%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.46 $1.46

139.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$4.71 $4.71

-6.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.21 $5.21

$4.15 $4.15

25.54%

Potato (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.58 $2.58

17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.35 $2.35

29.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.11 $3.11

$1.77 $1.77

75.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.14 $2.14

44.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$14.63 $14.63

$10.10 $10.10

44.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.84 $14.84

$15.19 $15.19

-2.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.82 $2.82

-34.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.44 $3.44

2.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.94 $2.94

$1.54 $1.54

90.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$131 $131

$40.99 $40.99

218.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.80 $2.80

5.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.60 $1.60

38.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.49 $41.49

$34.34 $34.34

20.82%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.94 $0.94

15.96%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.04%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.59%

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

$175 $175

$223 $223

-21.49%

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

$49.84 $49.84

$58.9 $58.9

-15.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 $50.7

$70.6 $70.6

-28.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.68 $45.68

$57.7 $57.7

-20.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$67.6 $67.6

$16.53 $16.53

309.07%

Cinema Ticket

$20.43 $20.43

$14.26 $14.26

43.27%

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

$1,979 $1,979

$1,511 $1,511

31.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.2K $16.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

-22.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.52 $49.52

$51.3 $51.3

-3.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$81.0 $81.0

$44.17 $44.17

83.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.7 $85.7

$87.0 $87.0

-1.49%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,272 $2,272

$1,940 $1,940

17.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,870 $1,870

$1,316 $1,316

42.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,863 $5,863

$3,664 $3,664

60.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,565 $2,565

15.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,775 $8,775

$7,354 $7,354

19.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,134 $6,134

$3,129 $3,129

96.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,625 $3,625

$5,286 $5,286

-31.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.79

0.15%

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

Last update for Queens, NY: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Queens, NY

$1.9K 56%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 29.6% $553

Groceries & Markets

Queens, NY

$464 13.9%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 12.6% $58

Eating Out

Queens, NY

$343 10.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 2.2% $7.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Queens, NY

$275 8.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 27.9% $77

Getting Around

Queens, NY

$156 4.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 63% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Queens, NY

$144 4.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 10.4% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Queens, NY

$87 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 0.4% $0.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,272 in Queens, NY and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $80.0 in Queens, NY vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $464 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Queens, NY

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h behind Queens, NY

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,405,464

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

Queens, NY Austin, TX 2,450 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Queens, NY
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

Queens, NY vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Queens, NY. 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 46% 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: $2,272 in Queens, NY 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 $3,339 per month in Queens, NY versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 218% less than in Queens, NY. 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 24% less than in Queens, NY. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.