Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Salem, MA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,554 in Salem, MA, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Salem, MA
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Salem, MA Living Index
125

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

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Salem, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,554

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,554 in Salem, MA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Salem, MA $3,554
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,918 in Salem, MA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Salem, MA $4,918
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,282 in Salem, MA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Salem, MA $6,282
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Salem, MA is roughly 36% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Salem, MA 161% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.21 $25.21

$20.35 $20.35

23.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.7 $84.7

18.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 $10.89

$12.12 $12.12

-10.15%

Cappuccino

$4.95 $4.95

$5.65 $5.65

-12.39%

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

$2.48 $2.48

$3.68 $3.68

-32.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.36 $2.36

-9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.87 $7.87

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.01 $7.01

$8.82 $8.82

-20.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.14 $1.14

10.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.69 $3.69

-2.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.31 $3.31

33.84%

Eggs

$4.43 $4.43

$4.15 $4.15

6.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.51 $12.51

$12.98 $12.98

-3.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.34 $11.34

$13.86 $13.86

-18.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$16.34 $16.34

3.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.69 $4.69

0.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.45 $1.45

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.40 $4.40

$5.11 $5.11

-13.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.52 $4.52

3.54%

Potato (1kg)

$2.79 $2.79

$3.08 $3.08

-9.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.38 $2.38

23.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.51 $2.51

$1.80 $1.80

39.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.20 $2.20

$2.22 $2.22

-0.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 $9.56

$9.97 $9.97

-4.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.05 $15.05

1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.91 $2.91

-23.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.33 $3.33

0.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.24 $2.24

$1.22 $1.22

83.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.6 $59.6

$40.53 $40.53

47.13%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.78 $2.78

24.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.65 $1.65

7.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.75 $26.75

$35.39 $35.39

-24.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 $0.88

$0.95 $0.95

-7.37%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-28.37%

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

$22.9K $22.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-14.51%

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

$193 $193

$223 $223

-13.50%

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

$58.4 $58.4

$58.5 $58.5

-0.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$71.2 $71.2

-7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.42 $42.42

$53.0 $53.0

-20.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.78 $14.78

$14.06 $14.06

5.12%

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

$1,423 $1,423

$1,459 $1,459

-2.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K $21.9K

$21.3K $21.3K

2.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$85.3 $85.3

$52.5 $52.5

62.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.1 $57.1

$42.75 $42.75

33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.7 $97.7

$86.4 $86.4

13.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$98.3 $98.3

$104 $104

-5.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,353 $2,353

$2,112 $2,112

11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,164 $2,164

$1,230 $1,230

75.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,963 $3,963

$3,863 $3,863

2.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,088 $3,088

$2,407 $2,407

28.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,802 $2,802

$7,426 $7,426

-62.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,303 $2,303

$3,060 $3,060

-24.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,667 $9,667

$5,179 $5,179

86.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.82

-3.67%

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

Last update for Salem, MA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Salem, MA

$2.2K 60.9%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 43.1% $934

Groceries & Markets

Salem, MA

$402 11.3%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 1.9% $7.4

Eating Out

Salem, MA

$366 10.3%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 4.8% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Salem, MA

$317 8.9%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 11.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Salem, MA

$152 4.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 15.7% $24

Getting Around

Salem, MA

$81 2.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 30.2% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Salem, MA

$72 2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 12.7% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,353 in Salem, MA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Salem, MA pays 87% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $101 in Salem, MA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $402 vs $410, with Salem, MA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Salem, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:12 2:12 AM

01:12 1:12 AM

1 h behind Salem, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

155,469

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Salem, MA Austin, TX 2,740 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Salem, MA
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

Salem, MA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Salem, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 87% higher in Salem, MA, 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: $2,353 in Salem, MA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,423 in Salem, MA versus $1,459 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $101 in Salem, MA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.

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