Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Somerset, NJ and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,865 in Somerset, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Somerset, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

189

Cost of Living Index in Somerset, NJ
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Somerset, NJ Living Index
130

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

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Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$3,865

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,865 in Somerset, NJ versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Somerset, NJ $3,865
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,297 in Somerset, NJ versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Somerset, NJ $4,297
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,728 in Somerset, NJ versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Somerset, NJ $4,728
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Somerset, NJ is roughly 45% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Somerset, NJ 186% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.26 $18.26

$20.77 $20.77

-12.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.28 $39.28

$84.6 $84.6

-53.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.16 $8.16

$12.32 $12.32

-33.77%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$5.63 $5.63

-13.14%

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

$1.96 $1.96

$3.72 $3.72

-47.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.50 $2.50

-41.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.05 $8.05

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.13 $7.13

$9.01 $9.01

-20.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$1.12 $1.12

17.86%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.75 $3.75

16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$3.26 $3.26

87.73%

Eggs

$2.02 $2.02

$4.17 $4.17

-51.56%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.28 $13.28

$12.90 $12.90

2.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.19 $10.19

$14.16 $14.16

-28.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.45 $19.45

$16.22 $16.22

19.91%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.33 $4.33

40.18%

Banana (1kg)

$3.49 $3.49

$1.46 $1.46

139.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.51 $4.51

-4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$4.34 $4.34

25.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.58 $2.58

17.83%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.35 $2.35

29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.78 $1.78

36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.22 $2.22

33.78%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$17.39 $17.39

$9.88 $9.88

76.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.08 $15.08

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.92 $2.92

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.52 $3.52

$3.46 $3.46

1.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.73 $2.73

7.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.23 $2.23

$1.66 $1.66

34.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.34 $41.34

$35.30 $35.30

17.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$0.95 $0.95

15.79%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.18%

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

$25.3K $25.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.60%

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

$173 $173

$229 $229

-24.42%

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

$50.0 $50.0

$59.4 $59.4

-15.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$49.14 $49.14

$69.9 $69.9

-29.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.91 $40.91

$57.2 $57.2

-28.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$20.32 $20.32

$14.28 $14.28

42.30%

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

$2,016 $2,016

$1,506 $1,506

33.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-24.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.2 $50.2

$52.8 $52.8

-4.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.93 $40.93

$43.82 $43.82

-6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$84.8 $84.8

0.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$103 $103

0.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,599 $1,599

$1,907 $1,907

-16.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,626 $2,626

$1,274 $1,274

106.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,527 $2,527

$3,664 $3,664

-31.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 $2,114

$2,538 $2,538

-16.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,767 $2,767

$7,614 $7,614

-63.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,399 $2,399

$3,157 $3,157

-24.03%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.8

6.79

0.15%

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

Last update for Somerset, NJ: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Somerset, NJ

$2.6K 67.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 51.5% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Somerset, NJ

$441 11.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8.3% $37

Eating Out

Somerset, NJ

$296 7.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Somerset, NJ

$272 7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 31.6% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Somerset, NJ

$126 3.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 1.5% $1.9

Sport & Entertainment

Somerset, NJ

$82 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 5.2% $4.2

Getting Around

Somerset, NJ

$22 * 0.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 168% $37

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 $1,599 in Somerset, NJ and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $39.00 in Somerset, NJ vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $441 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Somerset, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:04 2:04 AM

01:04 1:04 AM

1 h behind Somerset, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

11,924

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

Somerset, NJ Austin, TX 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Somerset, NJ
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

Somerset, NJ vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Somerset, NJ. 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 $5,798 in Somerset, NJ and $3,995 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: $1,599 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,016 in Somerset, NJ versus $1,506 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 $85.0 versus $39.00 in Somerset, NJ. 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.

Safety-wise, Somerset, NJ 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 45% less than in Somerset, NJ. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.