Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Joseph, MO: $2,485 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

121

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

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

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Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,485

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,485 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Saint Joseph, MO $2,485
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,629 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Saint Joseph, MO $3,629
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,773 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Saint Joseph, MO $4,773
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Saint Joseph, MO costs roughly 8% 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 Joseph, MO 83% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.25 $20.25

$20.63 $20.63

-1.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.1 $50.1

$84.6 $84.6

-40.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$12.07 $12.07

-10.60%

Cappuccino

$5.09 $5.09

$5.48 $5.48

-7.12%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.80 $3.80

-43.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.10 $1.10

$2.47 $2.47

-55.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.92 $4.92

$8.05 $8.05

-38.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.61 $7.61

$8.88 $8.88

-14.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$1.11 $1.11

-19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.72 $3.72

-12.37%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$3.37 $3.37

81.01%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$4.32 $4.32

8.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$13.13 $13.13

-11.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.39 $8.39

$14.15 $14.15

-40.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.71 $14.71

$16.33 $16.33

-9.92%

Apples (1kg)

$6.98 $6.98

$4.55 $4.55

53.41%

Banana (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.46 $1.46

47.95%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.71 $4.71

23.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$4.15 $4.15

5.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.58 $2.58

32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$2.35 $2.35

58.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.77 $1.77

7.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.14 $2.14

18.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.74 $8.74

$10.10 $10.10

-13.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.28 $17.28

$15.19 $15.19

13.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.87 $1.87

$2.82 $2.82

-33.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$3.44 $3.44

-28.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.54 $1.54

27.92%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.10 $5.10

$2.80 $2.80

82.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.60 $1.60

13.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.53 $35.53

$34.34 $34.34

3.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.94 $0.94

10.64%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.55%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.37%

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

$147 $147

$223 $223

-34.00%

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

$47.87 $47.87

$58.9 $58.9

-18.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.0 $66.0

$70.6 $70.6

-6.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.97 $40.97

$57.7 $57.7

-28.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$15.29 $15.29

$14.26 $14.26

7.22%

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

$812 $812

$1,511 $1,511

-46.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

-0.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.92 $47.92

$51.3 $51.3

-6.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.63 $34.63

$44.17 $44.17

-21.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$89.1 $89.1

$87.0 $87.0

2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$116 $116

$104 $104

11.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 $1,616

$1,940 $1,940

-16.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,289 $1,289

$1,316 $1,316

-2.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,489 $2,489

$3,664 $3,664

-32.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,185 $2,185

$2,565 $2,565

-14.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,569 $1,569

$7,354 $7,354

-78.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,566 $1,566

$3,129 $3,129

-49.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,880 $2,880

$5,286 $5,286

-45.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.37

6.79

-6.19%

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

Last update for Saint Joseph, MO: October 17, 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 Joseph, MO

$1.3K 51.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 2.1% $27

Groceries & Markets

Saint Joseph, MO

$403 16.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 0.7% $2.9

Eating Out

Saint Joseph, MO

$308 12.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 13.6% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Joseph, MO

$261 10.5%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 35% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Joseph, MO

$130 5.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Joseph, MO

$72 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 20.5% $15

Getting Around

Saint Joseph, MO

$22 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 163% $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 $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 84% 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: $50.0 in Saint Joseph, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $406 per month, with Saint Joseph, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Joseph, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

Same time as Saint Joseph, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

76,780

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

Saint Joseph, MO Austin, TX 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Saint Joseph, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saint Joseph, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 84% 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: $1,616 in Saint Joseph, MO versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $812 in Saint Joseph, 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 Joseph, MO – a meal for two runs $50.0 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 $2,000. Saint Joseph, 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.

Expats usually find Saint Joseph, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.