Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Schaumburg, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL, rent and utilities included – about $6,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

157

Cost of Living Index in Schaumburg, IL
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Schaumburg, IL Living Index
129

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

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Schaumburg, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,270

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,270 in Schaumburg, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Schaumburg, IL $3,270
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,555 in Schaumburg, IL versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Schaumburg, IL $4,555
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,840 in Schaumburg, IL versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Schaumburg, IL $5,840
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Schaumburg, IL is roughly 21% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Schaumburg, IL 141% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.02 $15.02

$20.63 $20.63

-27.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.24 $13.24

$12.07 $12.07

9.69%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$5.48 $5.48

-12.41%

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

$2.56 $2.56

$3.80 $3.80

-32.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.47 $2.47

-10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.53 $4.53

$8.05 $8.05

-43.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.13 $6.13

$8.88 $8.88

-30.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.86 $0.86

$1.11 $1.11

-22.52%

White Bread (500g)

$4.16 $4.16

$3.72 $3.72

11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.50 $7.50

$3.37 $3.37

122.55%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.32 $4.32

-6.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.89 $14.89

$13.13 $13.13

13.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$14.15 $14.15

-4.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.42 $17.42

$16.33 $16.33

6.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.55 $4.55

17.80%

Banana (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.46 $1.46

109.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.71 $4.71

2.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.15 $4.15

-1.69%

Potato (1kg)

$3.34 $3.34

$2.58 $2.58

29.46%

Onion (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.35 $2.35

38.72%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.77 $1.77

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.40 $3.40

$2.14 $2.14

58.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.77 $17.77

$10.10 $10.10

75.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.19 $19.19

$15.19 $15.19

26.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.59 $5.59

$3.44 $3.44

62.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$0.94 $0.94

-1.06%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-23.92%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

9.55%

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

$339 $339

$223 $223

52.47%

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

$77.6 $77.6

$58.9 $58.9

31.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$149 $149

$70.6 $70.6

111.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$64.1 $64.1

$57.7 $57.7

11.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$40.45 $40.45

$16.53 $16.53

144.71%

Cinema Ticket

$19.63 $19.63

$14.26 $14.26

37.66%

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

$1,511 $1,511

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$85.0K $85.0K

$20.9K $20.9K

306.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.3 $74.3

$51.3 $51.3

44.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.7 $50.7

$44.17 $44.17

14.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$87.0 $87.0

15.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

15.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,896 $1,896

$1,940 $1,940

-2.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,713 $1,713

$1,316 $1,316

30.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,769 $2,769

$3,664 $3,664

-24.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$2,565 $2,565

-2.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,132 $2,132

$7,354 $7,354

-71.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,090 $2,090

$3,129 $3,129

-33.22%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,001 $5,001

$5,286 $5,286

-5.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.1

6.79

-10.16%

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

Last update for Schaumburg, IL: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Schaumburg, IL

$1.7K 52.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 23.1% $396

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Schaumburg, IL

$566 17.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 37.8% $214

Groceries & Markets

Schaumburg, IL

$461 * 14.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 11.9% $55

Eating Out

Schaumburg, IL

$271 8.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 29% $79

Clothing & Footwear

Schaumburg, IL

$156 4.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 17.3% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Schaumburg, IL

$103 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.6% $17

Getting Around

Schaumburg, IL

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

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 $1,896 in Schaumburg, IL and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $101 in Schaumburg, IL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $461 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Schaumburg, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

Same time as Schaumburg, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

78,723

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

Schaumburg, IL Austin, TX 1,570 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Schaumburg, IL
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

Schaumburg, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in Schaumburg, IL. 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 6% 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: $1,896 in Schaumburg, IL versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,270 per month in Schaumburg, IL versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 21% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 13% higher in Schaumburg, IL. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Schaumburg, IL 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 21% less than in Schaumburg, IL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.