Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Silver Spring, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD, rent and utilities included – about $1,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Silver Spring, MD
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Silver Spring, MD Living Index
125

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

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Silver Spring, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,701 in Silver Spring, MD versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Silver Spring, MD $2,701
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,945 in Silver Spring, MD versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Silver Spring, MD $3,945
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,190 in Silver Spring, MD versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Silver Spring, MD $5,190
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Silver Spring, MD is roughly 4% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Silver Spring, MD 98% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 $13.30

$20.35 $20.35

-34.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.1 $89.1

$84.7 $84.7

5.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.38 $7.38

$12.12 $12.12

-39.11%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

$5.65 $5.65

4.78%

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

$2.83 $2.83

$3.68 $3.68

-23.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.36 $2.36

4.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.80 $7.80

$7.87 $7.87

-0.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.41 $8.41

$8.82 $8.82

-4.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.14 $1.14

5.26%

White Bread (500g)

$4.41 $4.41

$3.69 $3.69

19.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$3.31 $3.31

60.73%

Eggs

$5.07 $5.07

$4.15 $4.15

22.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.40 $16.40

$12.98 $12.98

26.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.44 $15.44

$13.86 $13.86

11.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.22 $19.22

$16.34 $16.34

17.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$4.69 $4.69

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.45 $1.45

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$5.11 $5.11

-9.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.23 $5.23

$4.52 $4.52

15.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.08 $3.08

-4.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.38 $2.38

-12.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.11 $2.11

$1.80 $1.80

17.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.22 $2.22

20.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.52 $9.52

$9.97 $9.97

-4.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.02 $15.02

$15.05 $15.05

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.91 $2.91

-41.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.33 $3.33

-16.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.91 $3.91

$1.22 $1.22

220.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.7 $87.7

$40.53 $40.53

116.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.78 $2.78

40.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.65 $1.65

-26.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.03 $25.03

$35.39 $35.39

-29.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.95 $0.95

7.37%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.67%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-5.52%

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

$153 $153

$223 $223

-31.50%

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

$48.89 $48.89

$58.5 $58.5

-16.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$71.2 $71.2

-12.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.12 $26.12

$53.0 $53.0

-50.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.62 $21.62

$16.75 $16.75

29.07%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 $16.45

$14.06 $14.06

17.00%

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

$1,901 $1,901

$1,459 $1,459

30.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.9K $35.9K

$21.3K $21.3K

67.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.59 $46.59

$52.5 $52.5

-11.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.93 $36.93

$42.75 $42.75

-13.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$86.4 $86.4

17.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

16.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,884 $1,884

$2,112 $2,112

-10.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 $1,393

$1,230 $1,230

13.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,859 $3,859

$3,863 $3,863

-0.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,154 $2,154

$2,407 $2,407

-10.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,239 $4,239

$7,426 $7,426

-42.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,104 $3,104

$3,060 $3,060

1.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,138 $5,138

$5,179 $5,179

-0.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.72

6.82

-1.47%

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

Last update for Silver Spring, MD: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Silver Spring, MD

$1.4K 51.6%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 11.6% $162

Groceries & Markets

Silver Spring, MD

$458 17%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 10.5% $48

Eating Out

Silver Spring, MD

$277 10.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 25.9% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Silver Spring, MD

$264 9.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 33.8% $89

Clothing & Footwear

Silver Spring, MD

$137 5.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 6.5% $9

Getting Around

Silver Spring, MD

$113 4.2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 50.2% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Silver Spring, MD

$59 2.2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 37.5% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,884 in Silver Spring, MD and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $89 in Silver Spring, MD vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $458 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Silver Spring, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:11 3:11 AM

02:11 2:11 AM

1 h behind Silver Spring, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

71,452

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Silver Spring, MD Austin, TX 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Silver Spring, MD
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

Silver Spring, MD vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Silver Spring, MD. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,051 in Silver Spring, MD and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,884 in Silver Spring, MD 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 $2,701 per month in Silver Spring, MD versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 3% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Silver Spring, MD. 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.