Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rochester, MI and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Rochester, MI: $2,317 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

113

Cost of Living Index in Rochester, MI
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Rochester, MI Living Index
129

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

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Rochester, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,317

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,317 in Rochester, MI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Rochester, MI $2,317
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,331 in Rochester, MI versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Rochester, MI $3,331
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,345 in Rochester, MI versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Rochester, MI $4,345
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Rochester, MI costs roughly 14% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rochester, MI 71% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.40 $16.40

$20.63 $20.63

-20.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$73.8 $73.8

$84.6 $84.6

-12.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 $11.87

$12.07 $12.07

-1.66%

Cappuccino

$5.41 $5.41

$5.48 $5.48

-1.28%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$3.80 $3.80

-25.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 $2.11

$2.47 $2.47

-14.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.93 $4.93

$8.05 $8.05

-38.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.95 $5.95

$8.88 $8.88

-33.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.11 $1.11

-28.83%

White Bread (500g)

$2.88 $2.88

$3.72 $3.72

-22.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.37 $3.37

-3.26%

Eggs

$2.84 $2.84

$4.32 $4.32

-34.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.98 $10.98

$13.13 $13.13

-16.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.52 $17.52

$14.15 $14.15

23.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.93 $10.93

$16.33 $16.33

-33.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.55 $4.55

-27.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.46 $1.46

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.71 $4.71

-5.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$4.15 $4.15

-14.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.58 $2.58

-15.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.35 $2.35

-8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.77 $1.77

-44.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$5.35 $5.35

$2.14 $2.14

150.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.10 $10.10

-2.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$15.19 $15.19

-1.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.82 $2.82

-14.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.03 $5.03

$3.44 $3.44

46.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$9.92 $9.92

$2.80 $2.80

254.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.60 $1.60

93.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.16 $10.16

$34.34 $34.34

-70.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.94 $0.94

-1.06%

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

$30.7K $30.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-9.61%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.08%

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

$137 $137

$223 $223

-38.68%

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

$64.2 $64.2

$58.9 $58.9

8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.9 $52.9

$70.6 $70.6

-25.09%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.56 $22.56

$57.7 $57.7

-60.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.88 $34.88

$16.53 $16.53

111.01%

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 $10.17

$14.26 $14.26

-28.68%

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

$647 $647

$1,511 $1,511

-57.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K $20.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

-2.71%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.0 $54.0

$51.3 $51.3

5.25%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$44.17 $44.17

14.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.0 $83.0

$87.0 $87.0

-4.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$104 $104

11.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,190 $1,190

$1,940 $1,940

-38.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,164 $1,164

$1,316 $1,316

-11.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,173 $2,173

$3,664 $3,664

-40.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,703 $1,703

$2,565 $2,565

-33.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,142 $4,142

$7,354 $7,354

-43.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,246 $2,246

$3,129 $3,129

-28.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,626 $5,626

$5,286 $5,286

6.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.79

-3.39%

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

Last update for Rochester, MI: 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

Rochester, MI

$1.2K 50.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 13.1% $152

Groceries & Markets

Rochester, MI

$406 17.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 0.1% $0.5

Eating Out

Rochester, MI

$288 12.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 21.5% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rochester, MI

$254 10.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 38.9% $99

Clothing & Footwear

Rochester, MI

$137 5.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 5.5% $7.5

Sport & Entertainment

Rochester, MI

$43 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 101% $43

Getting Around

Rochester, MI

$25 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 128% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,190 in Rochester, MI and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rochester, MI pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $74.0 in Rochester, MI vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $406 per month, with Rochester, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rochester, MI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

1 h behind Rochester, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

211,328

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

Rochester, MI Austin, TX 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Rochester, MI
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

Rochester, MI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rochester, MI wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rochester, MI the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Rochester, MI, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,190 in Rochester, MI versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $647 in Rochester, MI versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rochester, MI – a meal for two runs $74.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,317 in Rochester, MI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rochester, MI but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rochester, MI the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Safety-wise, Rochester, MI and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Rochester, MI gentler on the wallet – expenses run 16% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.