Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Scranton, PA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Scranton, PA: $2,109 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Scranton, PA
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Scranton, PA Living Index
130

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

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Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,109

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,109 in Scranton, PA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Scranton, PA $2,109
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,000 in Scranton, PA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Scranton, PA $3,000
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,891 in Scranton, PA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Scranton, PA $3,891
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Scranton, PA costs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Scranton, PA 56% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.08 $12.08

$20.77 $20.77

-41.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.1 $77.1

$84.6 $84.6

-8.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.96 $5.96

$12.32 $12.32

-51.62%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$5.63 $5.63

-20.43%

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

$1.53 $1.53

$3.72 $3.72

-58.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.50 $2.50

-60.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.93 $6.93

$8.05 $8.05

-13.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.66 $7.66

$9.01 $9.01

-14.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.73 $0.73

$1.12 $1.12

-34.82%

White Bread (500g)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.75 $3.75

-61.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.26 $3.26

-31.90%

Eggs

$3.34 $3.34

$4.17 $4.17

-19.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.12 $11.12

$12.90 $12.90

-13.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.81 $8.81

$14.16 $14.16

-37.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.18 $11.18

$16.22 $16.22

-31.07%

Apples (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$4.33 $4.33

-16.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.31 $1.31

$1.46 $1.46

-10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$4.51 $4.51

-26.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.26 $4.26

$4.34 $4.34

-1.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.58 $2.58

12.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.32 $3.32

$2.35 $2.35

41.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.78 $1.78

8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.01 $1.01

$2.22 $2.22

-54.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.59 $6.59

$9.88 $9.88

-33.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.19 $12.19

$15.08 $15.08

-19.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.92 $2.92

4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.46 $3.46

38.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.49 $1.49

16.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.1 $61.1

$41.72 $41.72

46.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.73 $2.73

15.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.66 $1.66

20.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.30 $35.30

-29.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

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

$35.3K $35.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

-1.96%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.08%

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

$232 $232

$229 $229

1.25%

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

$40.27 $40.27

$59.4 $59.4

-32.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.27 $49.27

$69.9 $69.9

-29.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.52 $29.52

$57.2 $57.2

-48.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.03 $16.03

$16.33 $16.33

-1.84%

Cinema Ticket

$12.53 $12.53

$14.28 $14.28

-12.25%

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

$770 $770

$1,506 $1,506

-48.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.6K $17.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-17.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.23 $45.23

$52.8 $52.8

-14.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.25 $30.25

$43.82 $43.82

-30.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.9 $72.9

$84.8 $84.8

-14.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.9 $82.9

$103 $103

-19.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,907 $1,907

-33.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,019 $1,019

$1,274 $1,274

-19.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 $1,554

$3,664 $3,664

-57.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,481 $1,481

$2,538 $2,538

-41.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,594 $1,594

$7,614 $7,614

-79.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 $1,538

$3,157 $3,157

-51.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,361 $3,361

$5,121 $5,121

-34.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.79

-1.77%

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

Last update for Scranton, PA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Scranton, PA

$1K 48.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 25% $255

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Scranton, PA

$321 15.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 11.5% $37

Groceries & Markets

Scranton, PA

$300 14.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 34.9% $105

Eating Out

Scranton, PA

$228 10.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 55% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Scranton, PA

$104 4.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 23% $24

Getting Around

Scranton, PA

$81 3.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 27.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Scranton, PA

$55 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 57.2% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,269 in Scranton, PA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 52% 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: $77.0 in Scranton, PA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $405 per month, with Scranton, PA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Scranton, PA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:40 12:40 PM

11:40 11:40 AM

1 h behind Scranton, PA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

72,861

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Scranton, PA Austin, TX 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Scranton, PA
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

Scranton, PA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Scranton, PA wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Scranton, PA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 52% 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: $1,269 in Scranton, PA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,109 per month in Scranton, PA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Scranton, PA runs roughly 46% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,109 in Scranton, PA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Scranton, PA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Scranton, PA the clear choice for anyone on this 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.

Expats usually find Scranton, PA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.