Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Saint Paul, MN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Saint Paul, MN: $2,445 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

117

Cost of Living Index in Saint Paul, MN
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Saint Paul, MN Living Index
125

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

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Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,445

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,445 in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Saint Paul, MN $2,445
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,672 in Saint Paul, MN versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Saint Paul, MN $3,672
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,900 in Saint Paul, MN versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Saint Paul, MN $4,900
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Saint Paul, MN costs roughly 6% 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 Paul, MN 80% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.66 $15.66

$20.35 $20.35

-23.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.8 $67.8

$84.7 $84.7

-19.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 $10.07

$12.12 $12.12

-16.91%

Cappuccino

$5.03 $5.03

$5.65 $5.65

-10.97%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$3.68 $3.68

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.36 $2.36

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$7.87 $7.87

-23.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.37 $7.37

$8.82 $8.82

-16.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.14 $1.14

-14.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.80 $3.80

$3.69 $3.69

2.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.31 $3.31

0.60%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$4.15 $4.15

-28.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.39 $9.39

$12.98 $12.98

-27.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 $9.66

$13.86 $13.86

-30.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.17 $13.17

$16.34 $16.34

-19.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.69 $4.69

3.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.45 $1.45

-23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$5.11 $5.11

15.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.52 $4.52

8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.08 $3.08

23.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.38 $2.38

46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.80 $1.80

13.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.22 $2.22

-21.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.68 $12.68

$9.97 $9.97

27.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.65 $14.65

$15.05 $15.05

-2.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.91 $2.91

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.33 $3.33

2.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.96 $1.96

$1.22 $1.22

60.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$104 $104

$40.53 $40.53

156.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.78 $2.78

-8.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.65 $1.65

-7.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.02 $31.02

$35.39 $35.39

-12.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.95 $0.95

8.42%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-20.78%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.68%

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

$232 $232

$223 $223

4.17%

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

$50.6 $50.6

$58.5 $58.5

-13.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.7 $64.7

$71.2 $71.2

-9.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.74 $29.74

$53.0 $53.0

-43.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$8.50 $8.50

$16.75 $16.75

-49.25%

Cinema Ticket

$13.07 $13.07

$14.06 $14.06

-7.04%

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

$1,481 $1,481

$1,459 $1,459

1.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.1K $28.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

31.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$41.01 $41.01

$52.5 $52.5

-21.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.23 $40.23

$42.75 $42.75

-5.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.1 $82.1

$86.4 $86.4

-5.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$110 $110

$104 $104

6.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,444 $1,444

$2,112 $2,112

-31.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,153 $1,153

$1,230 $1,230

-6.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,660 $2,660

$3,863 $3,863

-31.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,132 $2,132

$2,407 $2,407

-11.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,631 $2,631

$7,426 $7,426

-64.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,949 $1,949

$3,060 $3,060

-36.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,256 $4,256

$5,179 $5,179

-17.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.82

-7.48%

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

Last update for Saint Paul, MN: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Saint Paul, MN

$1.2K 47.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 6.7% $77

Groceries & Markets

Saint Paul, MN

$360 14.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 13.8% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Saint Paul, MN

$348 14.2%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 1.4% $5

Eating Out

Saint Paul, MN

$283 11.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 22.8% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Saint Paul, MN

$123 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 4.4% $5.4

Getting Around

Saint Paul, MN

$122 5%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 53.6% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Saint Paul, MN

$56 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 45.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 22% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $68 in Saint Paul, MN vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $360 vs $410 per month, with Saint Paul, MN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Saint Paul, MN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

Same time as Saint Paul, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

285,068

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Saint Paul, MN Austin, TX 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Saint Paul, MN
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 Paul, MN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Saint Paul, MN wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Saint Paul, MN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% lower in Saint Paul, MN. 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: $1,444 in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,445 per month in Saint Paul, MN versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Saint Paul, MN is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 61% less than in Saint Paul, MN. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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.

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