Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Royal Oak, MI and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Royal Oak, MI and in Austin, TX: $2,697 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

132

Cost of Living Index in Royal Oak, MI
Learn more

Royal Oak, MI Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Royal Oak, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,697

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,697 in Royal Oak, MI versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Royal Oak, MI $2,697
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Royal Oak, MI versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Royal Oak, MI $4,112
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,527 in Royal Oak, MI versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Royal Oak, MI $5,527
Austin, TX $5,622

Monthly costs are close between Royal Oak, MI and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.66 $17.66

$20.63 $20.63

-14.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$64.0 $64.0

$84.6 $84.6

-24.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.39 $12.39

$12.07 $12.07

2.65%

Cappuccino

$5.68 $5.68

$5.48 $5.48

3.65%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$3.80 $3.80

-32.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.47 $2.47

-17.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.11 $6.11

$8.05 $8.05

-24.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.77 $7.77

$8.88 $8.88

-12.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.11 $1.11

-6.31%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.72 $3.72

-12.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$3.37 $3.37

60.83%

Eggs

$3.85 $3.85

$4.32 $4.32

-10.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.45 $13.45

$13.13 $13.13

2.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.24 $11.24

$14.15 $14.15

-20.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.76 $16.76

$16.33 $16.33

2.63%

Apples (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.55 $4.55

10.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.46 $1.46

8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$4.71 $4.71

-10.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.15 $4.15

12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.58 $2.58

11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$3.21 $3.21

$2.35 $2.35

36.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.77 $1.77

24.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.14 $2.14

-0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$10.10 $10.10

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$15.19 $15.19

-1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.82 $2.82

-11.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.54 $1.54

59.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.8 $70.8

$40.99 $40.99

72.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.80 $2.80

-1.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 $1.57

$1.60 $1.60

-1.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.79 $23.79

$34.34 $34.34

-30.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.94 $0.94

9.57%

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

$33.6K $33.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-1.04%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.51%

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

$212 $212

$223 $223

-4.59%

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

$65.0 $65.0

$58.9 $58.9

10.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$70.6 $70.6

-1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.04 $12.04

$14.26 $14.26

-15.57%

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

$1,110 $1,110

$1,511 $1,511

-26.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.4K $18.4K

$20.9K $20.9K

-11.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.9 $57.9

$51.3 $51.3

13.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.65 $38.65

$44.17 $44.17

-12.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.5 $97.5

$87.0 $87.0

12.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$104 $104

11.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,526 $1,526

$1,940 $1,940

-21.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,383 $1,383

$1,316 $1,316

5.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,487 $3,487

$3,664 $3,664

-4.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,712 $2,712

$2,565 $2,565

5.73%

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)

$5,841 $5,841

$5,286 $5,286

10.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.79

-4.42%

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

Last update for Royal Oak, MI: 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

Royal Oak, MI

$1.4K 51.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 4.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

Royal Oak, MI

$400 14.9%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 1.4% $5.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Royal Oak, MI

$347 12.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1.4% $5

Eating Out

Royal Oak, MI

$311 11.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 12.6% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Royal Oak, MI

$140 5.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 7.7% $11

Getting Around

Royal Oak, MI

$91 3.4%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 36.5% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Royal Oak, MI

$24 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 258% $62

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 $1,526 in Royal Oak, MI and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Royal Oak, MI pays 10% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $64.0 in Royal Oak, MI vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $406 per month, with Royal Oak, MI cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Royal Oak, MI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:01 2:01 AM

01:01 1:01 AM

1 h behind Royal Oak, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,211

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

Royal Oak, MI Austin, TX 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Royal Oak, 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

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

Average pay runs 10% higher in Royal Oak, 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: $1,526 in Royal Oak, MI versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,110 in Royal Oak, 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 Royal Oak, MI – a meal for two runs $64.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Royal Oak, MI is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Royal Oak, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Royal Oak, MI wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.