Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Raleigh, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Raleigh, NC and in Austin, TX: $2,643 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in Raleigh, NC
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Raleigh, NC Living Index
125

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

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Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,643

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,643 in Raleigh, NC versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Raleigh, NC $2,643
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,817 in Raleigh, NC versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Raleigh, NC $3,817
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,991 in Raleigh, NC versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Raleigh, NC $4,991
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Raleigh, NC is roughly 1% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Raleigh, NC 94% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.90 $21.90

$20.35 $20.35

7.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.4 $88.4

$84.7 $84.7

4.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 $11.44

$12.12 $12.12

-5.61%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.65 $5.65

-0.88%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$3.68 $3.68

-23.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.36 $2.36

-8.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$7.87 $7.87

-22.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 $6.94

$8.82 $8.82

-21.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$1.14 $1.14

-22.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.79 $3.79

$3.69 $3.69

2.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.31 $3.31

-4.23%

Eggs

$4.78 $4.78

$4.15 $4.15

15.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.10 $15.10

$12.98 $12.98

16.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.74 $9.74

$13.86 $13.86

-29.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.81 $17.81

$16.34 $16.34

9.00%

Apples (1kg)

$6.61 $6.61

$4.69 $4.69

40.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.45 $1.45

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$5.11 $5.11

-12.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.75 $5.75

$4.52 $4.52

27.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.91 $2.91

$3.08 $3.08

-5.52%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.38 $2.38

51.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.80 $1.80

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.22 $2.22

-0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.64 $8.64

$9.97 $9.97

-13.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.05 $15.05

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.91 $2.91

-23.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$3.33 $3.33

-17.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.38 $40.38

$40.53 $40.53

-0.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.78 $2.78

5.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.65 $1.65

16.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.79 $17.79

$35.39 $35.39

-49.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-9.88%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.48%

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

$185 $185

$223 $223

-16.87%

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

$56.7 $56.7

$58.5 $58.5

-3.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$71.2 $71.2

-3.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$33.01 $33.01

$53.0 $53.0

-37.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.90 $5.90

$16.75 $16.75

-64.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.74 $14.74

$14.06 $14.06

4.84%

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

$1,317 $1,317

$1,459 $1,459

-9.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.0K $24.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

12.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.5 $60.5

$52.5 $52.5

15.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.7 $55.7

$42.75 $42.75

30.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.4 $86.4

17.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$159 $159

$104 $104

53.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,715 $1,715

$2,112 $2,112

-18.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 $1,290

$1,230 $1,230

4.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,825 $2,825

$3,863 $3,863

-26.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,915 $1,915

$2,407 $2,407

-20.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,556 $4,556

$7,426 $7,426

-38.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,115 $2,115

$3,060 $3,060

-30.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,605 $4,605

$5,179 $5,179

-11.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.61

6.82

-3.08%

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

Last update for Raleigh, NC: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Raleigh, NC

$1.3K 48.8%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 4.6% $60

Groceries & Markets

Raleigh, NC

$411 15.6%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 0.3% $1.3

Eating Out

Raleigh, NC

$341 12.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 2.1% $7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Raleigh, NC

$311 11.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 13.5% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Raleigh, NC

$170 6.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 24.3% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Raleigh, NC

$62 2.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 29.9% $19

Getting Around

Raleigh, NC

$58 2.2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 2.2% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,715 in Raleigh, NC and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Raleigh, NC vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $411 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Raleigh, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:07 12:07 PM

11:07 11:07 AM

1 h behind Raleigh, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

431,746

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Raleigh, NC Austin, TX 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Raleigh, NC
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

Raleigh, NC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Raleigh, NC. 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 Raleigh, NC. 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: $1,715 in Raleigh, NC 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 $2,643 per month in Raleigh, NC versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $88 in Raleigh, NC. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.