Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rock Hill, SC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Rock Hill, SC: $2,140 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Rock Hill, SC
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Rock Hill, SC Living Index
129

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

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Rock Hill, SC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,140

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,140 in Rock Hill, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Rock Hill, SC $2,140
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,096 in Rock Hill, SC versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Rock Hill, SC $3,096
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,052 in Rock Hill, SC versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Rock Hill, SC $4,052
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Rock Hill, SC costs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rock Hill, SC 58% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.40 $22.40

$20.63 $20.63

8.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$80.1 $80.1

$84.6 $84.6

-5.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.17 $10.17

$12.07 $12.07

-15.74%

Cappuccino

$5.43 $5.43

$5.48 $5.48

-0.91%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$3.80 $3.80

-26.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.47 $2.47

-17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.96 $4.96

$8.05 $8.05

-38.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.14 $6.14

$8.88 $8.88

-30.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.70 $0.70

$1.11 $1.11

-36.94%

White Bread (500g)

$2.83 $2.83

$3.72 $3.72

-23.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$3.37 $3.37

-12.46%

Eggs

$5.39 $5.39

$4.32 $4.32

24.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.03 $11.03

$13.13 $13.13

-15.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$14.15 $14.15

-21.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.92 $7.92

$16.33 $16.33

-51.50%

Apples (1kg)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.55 $4.55

-40.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.46 $1.46

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$4.71 $4.71

41.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.15 $4.15

8.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.58 $2.58

29.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.35 $2.35

42.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.14 $2.14

-4.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.83 $8.83

$10.10 $10.10

-12.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$15.19 $15.19

-34.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.82 $2.82

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.57 $3.57

$3.44 $3.44

3.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.16 $7.16

$2.80 $2.80

155.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.60 $1.60

46.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$14.73 $14.73

$34.34 $34.34

-57.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.94 $0.94

5.32%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-11.37%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.36%

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

$148 $148

$223 $223

-33.53%

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

$51.8 $51.8

$58.9 $58.9

-12.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$52.0 $52.0

$70.6 $70.6

-26.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.29 $20.29

$57.7 $57.7

-64.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.89 $6.89

$16.53 $16.53

-58.32%

Cinema Ticket

$11.82 $11.82

$14.26 $14.26

-17.11%

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

$1,317 $1,317

$1,511 $1,511

-12.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.1K $10.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

-51.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$38.26 $38.26

$51.3 $51.3

-25.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.54 $31.54

$44.17 $44.17

-28.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.1 $84.1

$87.0 $87.0

-3.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.8 $95.8

$104 $104

-8.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,254 $1,254

$1,940 $1,940

-35.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,045 $1,045

$1,316 $1,316

-20.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,731 $1,731

$3,664 $3,664

-52.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,511 $1,511

$2,565 $2,565

-41.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,470 $3,470

$5,286 $5,286

-34.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.79

-1.62%

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

Last update for Rock Hill, SC: 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

Rock Hill, SC

$1K 48.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 26% $272

Groceries & Markets

Rock Hill, SC

$337 15.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 20.5% $69

Eating Out

Rock Hill, SC

$331 15.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 5.7% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rock Hill, SC

$252 11.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 39.9% $100

Clothing & Footwear

Rock Hill, SC

$112 5.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 14.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Rock Hill, SC

$44 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 96.3% $42

Getting Around

Rock Hill, SC

$19 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 206% $39

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 $1,254 in Rock Hill, SC and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 52% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $80.0 in Rock Hill, SC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $337 vs $406 per month, with Rock Hill, SC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rock Hill, SC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

1 h behind Rock Hill, SC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

74,102

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Rock Hill, SC Austin, TX 1,650 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Rock Hill, SC
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

Rock Hill, SC vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rock Hill, SC wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rock Hill, SC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $1,254 in Rock Hill, SC versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,317 in Rock Hill, SC 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 Rock Hill, SC – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,140 in Rock Hill, SC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Rock Hill, SC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rock Hill, SC 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.

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