Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Charles, MO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Charles, MO: $2,184 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

106

Cost of Living Index in Saint Charles, MO
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Saint Charles, MO Living Index
129

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

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Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,184

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,184 in Saint Charles, MO versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Saint Charles, MO $2,184
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,474 in Saint Charles, MO versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Saint Charles, MO $3,474
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,763 in Saint Charles, MO versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Saint Charles, MO $4,763
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Saint Charles, MO costs roughly 19% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Saint Charles, MO 61% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.80 $14.80

$20.63 $20.63

-28.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.0 $60.0

$84.6 $84.6

-29.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.83 $11.83

$12.07 $12.07

-1.99%

Cappuccino

$4.84 $4.84

$5.48 $5.48

-11.68%

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

$2.61 $2.61

$3.80 $3.80

-31.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.47 $2.47

-25.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.06 $5.06

$8.05 $8.05

-37.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.15 $6.15

$8.88 $8.88

-30.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.75 $0.75

$1.11 $1.11

-32.43%

White Bread (500g)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.72 $3.72

-30.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.27 $6.27

$3.37 $3.37

86.05%

Eggs

$3.12 $3.12

$4.32 $4.32

-27.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.38 $9.38

$13.13 $13.13

-28.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.51 $6.51

$14.15 $14.15

-53.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.11 $24.11

$16.33 $16.33

47.64%

Apples (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$4.55 $4.55

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.46 $1.46

47.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.18 $10.18

$4.71 $4.71

116.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.12 $5.12

$4.15 $4.15

23.37%

Potato (1kg)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.58 $2.58

40.31%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.35 $2.35

57.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.77 $1.77

19.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.14 $2.14

0.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.14 $11.14

$10.10 $10.10

10.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.02 $12.02

$15.19 $15.19

-20.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.89 $1.89

$2.82 $2.82

-32.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$3.44 $3.44

-25.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.90 $4.90

$1.54 $1.54

218.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.80 $2.80

8.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 $1.69

$1.60 $1.60

5.62%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.89 $49.89

$34.34 $34.34

45.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.94 $0.94

-3.19%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.98%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.50%

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

$334 $334

$223 $223

50.22%

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

$61.0 $61.0

$58.9 $58.9

3.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.5 $75.5

$70.6 $70.6

6.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.26 $49.26

$57.7 $57.7

-14.63%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$11.93 $11.93

$14.26 $14.26

-16.34%

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

$980 $980

$1,511 $1,511

-35.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.9 $68.9

$51.3 $51.3

34.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.64 $42.64

$44.17 $44.17

-3.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.6 $78.6

$87.0 $87.0

-9.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$104 $104

53.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,479 $1,479

$1,940 $1,940

-23.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$790 $790

$1,316 $1,316

-39.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,970 $1,970

$3,664 $3,664

-46.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,917 $1,917

$2,565 $2,565

-25.26%

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)

$4,223 $4,223

$5,286 $5,286

-20.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

6.79

-3.09%

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

Last update for Saint Charles, MO: 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

Saint Charles, MO

$790 36.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 66.5% $526

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Charles, MO

$471 21.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 25.2% $119

Groceries & Markets

Saint Charles, MO

$393 18%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 3.3% $13

Eating Out

Saint Charles, MO

$267 12.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 30.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Charles, MO

$158 7.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 18.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Charles, MO

$73 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17.9% $13

Getting Around

Saint Charles, MO

$31 * 1.4%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 86.2% $27

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 $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 25% 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: $60.0 in Saint Charles, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $393 vs $406 per month, with Saint Charles, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Charles, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:51 5:51 PM

Same time as Saint Charles, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,329

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Saint Charles, MO Austin, TX 1,160 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Saint Charles, MO
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

Saint Charles, MO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Charles, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Charles, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% 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: $1,479 in Saint Charles, MO versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $980 in Saint Charles, MO 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 Saint Charles, MO – a meal for two runs $60.0 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. Saint Charles, MO 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, Saint Charles, MO 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 Saint Charles, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.