Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sarasota, FL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,092 in Sarasota, FL, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

150

Cost of Living Index in Sarasota, FL
Learn more

Sarasota, FL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,092

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,092 in Sarasota, FL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Sarasota, FL $3,092
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,623 in Sarasota, FL versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Sarasota, FL $4,623
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,155 in Sarasota, FL versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Sarasota, FL $6,155
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Sarasota, FL is roughly 19% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sarasota, FL 127% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.41 $27.41

$20.35 $20.35

34.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$86.4 $86.4

$84.7 $84.7

2.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.12 $12.12

-8.58%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.65 $5.65

-0.88%

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

$3.32 $3.32

$3.68 $3.68

-9.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.36 $2.36

20.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.66 $5.66

$7.87 $7.87

-28.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.83 $6.83

$8.82 $8.82

-22.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.14 $1.14

17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.69 $3.69

10.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.31 $3.31

48.04%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.15 $4.15

-2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.79 $15.79

$12.98 $12.98

21.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.09 $14.09

$13.86 $13.86

1.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.10 $23.10

$16.34 $16.34

41.37%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$4.69 $4.69

8.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.45 $1.45

2.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$5.11 $5.11

-48.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.52 $4.52

34.07%

Potato (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.08 $3.08

72.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.38 $2.38

20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.80 $1.80

23.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.22 $2.22

2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.97 $9.97

-10.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.83 $11.83

$15.05 $15.05

-21.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.91 $2.91

-26.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.33 $3.33

30.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.22 $1.22

24.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.1 $50.1

$40.53 $40.53

23.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$0.95 $0.95

8.42%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

8.85%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.29%

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

$135 $135

$223 $223

-39.47%

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

$45.51 $45.51

$58.5 $58.5

-22.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.9 $80.9

$71.2 $71.2

13.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.35 $48.35

$53.0 $53.0

-8.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.12 $14.12

$16.75 $16.75

-15.70%

Cinema Ticket

$20.38 $20.38

$14.06 $14.06

44.95%

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

$872 $872

$1,459 $1,459

-40.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.5K $16.5K

$21.3K $21.3K

-22.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.9 $64.9

$52.5 $52.5

23.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.35 $49.35

$42.75 $42.75

15.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$86.4 $86.4

33.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$158 $158

$104 $104

52.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,220 $2,220

$2,112 $2,112

5.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,672 $1,672

$1,230 $1,230

35.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,922 $5,922

$3,863 $3,863

53.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,880 $2,880

$2,407 $2,407

19.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,773 $4,773

$7,426 $7,426

-35.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,800 $2,800

$3,060 $3,060

-8.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,403 $4,403

$5,179 $5,179

-15.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.35

6.82

-6.89%

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

Last update for Sarasota, FL: 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

Sarasota, FL

$1.7K 54.1%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 26.4% $441

Groceries & Markets

Sarasota, FL

$453 14.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 9.5% $43

Eating Out

Sarasota, FL

$386 12.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 9.9% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sarasota, FL

$261 8.5%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 34.9% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Sarasota, FL

$175 5.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 26.4% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Sarasota, FL

$89 2.9%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 8.9% $8

Getting Around

Sarasota, FL

$56 * 1.8%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 0.6% $0.3

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 $2,220 in Sarasota, FL and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $86 in Sarasota, FL vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $453 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sarasota, FL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:08 3:08 AM

02:08 2:08 AM

1 h behind Sarasota, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

52,942

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sarasota, FL Austin, TX 1,520 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sarasota, FL
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

Sarasota, FL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 16% lower than in Sarasota, FL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 15% lower in Sarasota, FL. 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: $2,220 in Sarasota, FL versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $872 in Sarasota, FL versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 19% less than in Sarasota, FL. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.