Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Reno, NV and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,939 in Reno, NV, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

141

Cost of Living Index in Reno, NV
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Reno, NV Living Index
125

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

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Reno, NV

🇺🇸 United States

$2,939

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,939 in Reno, NV versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Reno, NV $2,939
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,216 in Reno, NV versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Reno, NV $4,216
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,494 in Reno, NV versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Reno, NV $5,494
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Reno, NV is roughly 13% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Reno, NV 116% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.27 $26.27

$20.35 $20.35

29.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.5 $86.5

$84.7 $84.7

2.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.81 $12.81

$12.12 $12.12

5.69%

Cappuccino

$5.34 $5.34

$5.65 $5.65

-5.49%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$3.68 $3.68

-25.82%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.36 $2.36

-17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.23 $7.23

$7.87 $7.87

-8.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.56 $7.56

$8.82 $8.82

-14.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.14 $1.14

0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.98 $3.98

$3.69 $3.69

7.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.31 $3.31

17.52%

Eggs

$5.25 $5.25

$4.15 $4.15

26.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.74 $11.74

$12.98 $12.98

-9.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.00 $16.00

$13.86 $13.86

15.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.46 $23.46

$16.34 $16.34

43.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.69 $4.69

-5.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.45 $1.45

2.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.01 $3.01

$5.11 $5.11

-41.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.91 $6.91

$4.52 $4.52

52.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.08 $3.08

-0.32%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.38 $2.38

56.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.80 $1.80

51.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.22 $2.22

2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.51 $10.51

$9.97 $9.97

5.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.44 $12.44

$15.05 $15.05

-17.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.98 $1.98

$2.91 $2.91

-31.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.33 $3.33

8.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.22 $1.22

67.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.2 $64.2

$40.53 $40.53

58.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.80 $3.80

$2.78 $2.78

36.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.65 $1.65

56.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.64 $32.64

$35.39 $35.39

-7.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$0.95 $0.95

34.74%

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

$27.6K $27.6K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.17%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.19%

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

$177 $177

$223 $223

-20.61%

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

$95.4 $95.4

$58.5 $58.5

63.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$89.5 $89.5

$71.2 $71.2

25.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.43 $32.43

$53.0 $53.0

-38.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.91 $15.91

$16.75 $16.75

-5.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.33 $14.33

$14.06 $14.06

1.92%

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

$1,300 $1,300

$1,459 $1,459

-10.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.8K $27.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

30.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.2 $54.2

$52.5 $52.5

3.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.80 $32.80

$42.75 $42.75

-23.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.7 $74.7

$86.4 $86.4

-13.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$144 $144

$104 $104

38.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,829 $1,829

$2,112 $2,112

-13.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,459 $1,459

$1,230 $1,230

18.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,811 $2,811

$3,863 $3,863

-27.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,153 $2,153

$2,407 $2,407

-10.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,519 $3,519

$7,426 $7,426

-52.61%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,606 $3,606

$3,060 $3,060

17.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,363 $4,363

$5,179 $5,179

-15.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Reno, NV: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Reno, NV

$1.5K 49.6%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 15.7% $229

Groceries & Markets

Reno, NV

$448 15.2%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 8.5% $38

Eating Out

Reno, NV

$383 13%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Reno, NV

$362 12.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 2.6% $9.3

Clothing & Footwear

Reno, NV

$138 4.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 6.7% $9.2

Getting Around

Reno, NV

$89 3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 36.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Reno, NV

$61 2.1%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 32.8% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,829 in Reno, NV and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86 in Reno, NV vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $448 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Reno, NV

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:03 7:03 AM

09:03 9:03 AM

2 h ahead of Reno, NV

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

271,953

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Reno, NV Austin, TX 2,250 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Reno, NV
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

Reno, NV vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Reno, NV. 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 16% lower in Reno, NV. 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: $1,829 in Reno, NV versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,300 in Reno, NV versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 37% less than in Reno, NV. 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.