Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between South Portland, ME and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,045 in South Portland, ME, rent and utilities included – about $5,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in South Portland, ME
Learn more

South Portland, ME Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 United States

$3,045

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,045 in South Portland, ME versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

South Portland, ME $3,045
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,568 in South Portland, ME versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

South Portland, ME $4,568
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,091 in South Portland, ME versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

South Portland, ME $6,091
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in South Portland, ME is roughly 17% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: South Portland, ME 124% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$20.35 $20.35

22.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$84.7 $84.7

39.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.71 $14.71

$12.12 $12.12

21.37%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.65 $5.65

-5.31%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$3.68 $3.68

-16.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 $2.37

$2.36 $2.36

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.81 $7.81

$7.87 $7.87

-0.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.82 $8.82

-9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.14 $1.14

-6.14%

White Bread (500g)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.69 $3.69

18.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.96 $6.96

$3.31 $3.31

110.27%

Eggs

$4.03 $4.03

$4.15 $4.15

-2.89%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.36 $15.36

$12.98 $12.98

18.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.35 $10.35

$13.86 $13.86

-25.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.97 $15.97

$16.34 $16.34

-2.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.69 $4.69

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.45 $1.45

13.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$5.11 $5.11

8.02%

Tomato (1kg)

$7.61 $7.61

$4.52 $4.52

68.36%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.08 $3.08

42.21%

Onion (1kg)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.38 $2.38

58.82%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.93 $2.93

$1.80 $1.80

62.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.22 $2.22

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.31 $12.31

$9.97 $9.97

23.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.05 $15.05

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.91 $2.91

-34.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.60 $2.60

$3.33 $3.33

-21.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.22 $1.22

56.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.3 $51.3

$40.53 $40.53

26.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.78 $2.78

-26.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.65 $1.65

-4.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.94 $10.94

$35.39 $35.39

-69.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$0.95 $0.95

14.74%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.61%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.15%

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

$239 $239

$223 $223

7.10%

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

$68.3 $68.3

$58.5 $58.5

16.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.6 $78.6

$71.2 $71.2

10.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.18 $40.18

$53.0 $53.0

-24.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.61 $29.61

$16.75 $16.75

76.78%

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$14.06 $14.06

6.33%

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

$401 $401

$1,459 $1,459

-72.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$15.1K $15.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

-29.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.9 $51.9

$52.5 $52.5

-1.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.2 $51.2

$42.75 $42.75

19.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$86.4 $86.4

19.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 $131

$104 $104

26.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,972 $1,972

$2,112 $2,112

-6.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,537 $1,537

$1,230 $1,230

24.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,166 $3,166

$3,863 $3,863

-18.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,605 $2,605

$2,407 $2,407

8.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,784 $2,784

$7,426 $7,426

-62.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,332 $2,332

$3,060 $3,060

-23.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,169 $4,169

$5,179 $5,179

-19.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.65

6.82

-2.49%

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

Last update for South Portland, ME: 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

South Portland, ME

$1.5K 50.5%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 19.9% $307

Groceries & Markets

South Portland, ME

$446 14.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 8.2% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

South Portland, ME

$386 12.7%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 8.6% $33

Eating Out

South Portland, ME

$385 12.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 9.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

South Portland, ME

$152 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 15.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

South Portland, ME

$70 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 15.8% $11

Getting Around

South Portland, ME

$69 2.3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 18% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,972 in South Portland, ME and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $118 in South Portland, ME vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $446 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 South Portland, ME

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:07 9:07 AM

08:07 8:07 AM

1 h behind South Portland, ME

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,498

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

South Portland, ME Austin, TX 2,840 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

South Portland, ME
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

South Portland, ME vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in South Portland, ME. 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 20% lower in South Portland, ME. 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: $1,972 in South Portland, ME 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 $3,045 per month in South Portland, ME versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 21% less than in South Portland, ME. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching 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.

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.