Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rocky Mount, NC and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Rocky Mount, NC: $2,059 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

99

Cost of Living Index in Rocky Mount, NC
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Rocky Mount, NC Living Index
129

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

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Rocky Mount, NC

🇺🇸 United States

$2,059

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,059 in Rocky Mount, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Rocky Mount, NC $2,059
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,178 in Rocky Mount, NC versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Rocky Mount, NC $3,178
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,296 in Rocky Mount, NC versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Rocky Mount, NC $4,296
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Rocky Mount, NC costs roughly 24% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Rocky Mount, NC 52% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.19 $18.19

$20.63 $20.63

-11.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.4 $70.4

$84.6 $84.6

-16.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.17 $12.17

$12.07 $12.07

0.83%

Cappuccino

$4.82 $4.82

$5.48 $5.48

-12.04%

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

$2.28 $2.28

$3.80 $3.80

-40.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.47 $2.47

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.03 $6.03

$8.05 $8.05

-25.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.00 $7.00

$8.88 $8.88

-21.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.11 $1.11

-21.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.72 $3.72

-0.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$3.37 $3.37

-4.45%

Eggs

$3.70 $3.70

$4.32 $4.32

-14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.06 $13.06

$13.13 $13.13

-0.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.83 $8.83

$14.15 $14.15

-37.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.05 $17.05

$16.33 $16.33

4.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.55 $4.55

-12.09%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.46 $1.46

56.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.04 $4.04

$4.71 $4.71

-14.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.15 $4.15

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.20 $3.20

$2.35 $2.35

36.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.77 $1.77

2.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 $2.18

$2.14 $2.14

1.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.78 $8.78

$10.10 $10.10

-13.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.22 $15.22

$15.19 $15.19

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.82 $2.82

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.44 $3.44

-15.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.54 $1.54

43.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.80 $2.80

-30.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.60 $1.60

41.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.88 $17.88

$34.34 $34.34

-47.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.94 $0.94

8.51%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-20.18%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.98%

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

$179 $179

$223 $223

-19.63%

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

$70.9 $70.9

$58.9 $58.9

20.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$63.6 $63.6

$70.6 $70.6

-9.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$46.02 $46.02

$57.7 $57.7

-20.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.02 $14.02

$14.26 $14.26

-1.68%

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

$787 $787

$1,511 $1,511

-47.92%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.8K $24.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

18.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$51.3 $51.3

-0.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.66 $37.66

$44.17 $44.17

-14.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.5 $70.5

$87.0 $87.0

-19.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$104 $104

9.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$975 $975

$1,940 $1,940

-49.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$856 $856

$1,316 $1,316

-34.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,435 $1,435

$3,664 $3,664

-60.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,633 $1,633

$2,565 $2,565

-36.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,693 $1,693

$7,354 $7,354

-76.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,704 $1,704

$3,129 $3,129

-45.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,834 $2,834

$5,286 $5,286

-46.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

6.79

-6.92%

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

Last update for Rocky Mount, NC: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Rocky Mount, NC

$856 41.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 53.8% $461

Groceries & Markets

Rocky Mount, NC

$371 18%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 9.3% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Rocky Mount, NC

$313 15.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 12.3% $39

Eating Out

Rocky Mount, NC

$300 14.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 16.8% $50

Clothing & Footwear

Rocky Mount, NC

$123 6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.9% $6

Sport & Entertainment

Rocky Mount, NC

$74 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.4% $12

Getting Around

Rocky Mount, NC

$22 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 162% $36

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 $975 in Rocky Mount, NC and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 87% 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: $70.0 in Rocky Mount, NC vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $371 vs $406 per month, with Rocky Mount, NC cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Rocky Mount, NC

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:34 10:34 PM

21:34 9:34 PM

1 h behind Rocky Mount, NC

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,968

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

Rocky Mount, NC Austin, TX 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Rocky Mount, 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

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

Rocky Mount, NC wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rocky Mount, NC the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 87% 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: $975 in Rocky Mount, NC versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $787 in Rocky Mount, NC 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 Rocky Mount, NC – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,059 in Rocky Mount, NC versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Rocky Mount, NC but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rocky Mount, NC 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 Rocky Mount, NC gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.