Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sterling and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,824 in Sterling, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Sterling outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

137

Cost of Living Index in Sterling
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Sterling Living Index
130

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

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Sterling

🇺🇸 United States

$2,824

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Sterling versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Sterling $2,824
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,327 in Sterling versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Sterling $4,327
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,831 in Sterling versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Sterling $5,831
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Sterling is roughly 6% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sterling 109% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.32 $19.32

$20.77 $20.77

-6.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$84.6 $84.6

-10.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.84 $11.84

$12.32 $12.32

-3.90%

Cappuccino

$5.90 $5.90

$5.63 $5.63

4.80%

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

$2.98 $2.98

$3.72 $3.72

-19.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.50 $2.50

-0.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.42 $5.42

$8.05 $8.05

-32.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$9.01 $9.01

-12.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.12 $1.12

-6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.75 $3.75

6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.26 $3.26

56.75%

Eggs

$5.61 $5.61

$4.17 $4.17

34.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$12.90 $12.90

32.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.54 $14.54

$14.16 $14.16

2.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.87 $18.87

$16.22 $16.22

16.34%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.33 $4.33

28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.34 $2.34

$1.46 $1.46

60.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.51 $4.51

11.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.88 $5.88

$4.34 $4.34

35.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.58 $2.58

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.83 $3.83

$2.35 $2.35

62.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.78 $1.78

26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.22 $2.22

18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.90 $9.90

$9.88 $9.88

0.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 $13.96

$15.08 $15.08

-7.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.92 $2.92

-20.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.54 $5.54

$3.46 $3.46

60.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.96 $4.96

$1.49 $1.49

232.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.73 $2.73

9.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.66 $1.66

-15.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.86 $22.86

$35.30 $35.30

-35.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 $0.95

9.47%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.25%

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

$25.1K $25.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-7.34%

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

$156 $156

$229 $229

-31.74%

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

$50.5 $50.5

$59.4 $59.4

-14.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.1 $79.1

$69.9 $69.9

13.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$29.37 $29.37

$57.2 $57.2

-48.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$18.12 $18.12

$14.28 $14.28

26.89%

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

$1,918 $1,918

$1,506 $1,506

27.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.2K $32.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

50.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

0.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.11 $45.11

$43.82 $43.82

2.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 $87.7

$84.8 $84.8

3.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 $107

$103 $103

4.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,255 $1,255

$1,907 $1,907

-34.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$1,274 $1,274

18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,025 $2,025

$3,664 $3,664

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,875 $2,875

$2,538 $2,538

13.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,239 $3,239

$7,614 $7,614

-57.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,372 $2,372

$3,157 $3,157

-24.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,714 $3,714

$5,121 $5,121

-27.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.63

6.79

-2.36%

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

Last update for Sterling: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sterling

$1.5K 53.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 15.7% $238

Groceries & Markets

Sterling

$473 16.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 14.5% $68

Eating Out

Sterling

$326 11.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 8.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sterling

$286 10.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 25.3% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Sterling

$132 4.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.9% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Sterling

$66 2.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 30.7% $20

Getting Around

Sterling

$30 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 96.5% $29

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 $1,255 in Sterling and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Sterling vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $473 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sterling

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:53 2:53 AM

Same time as Sterling

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

14,782

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Sterling Austin, TX 1,470 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Sterling
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Sterling. 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 38% 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: $1,255 in Sterling versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,918 in Sterling 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 $75.0 in Sterling. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,824 in Sterling, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Austin, TX but tight or insufficient in Sterling. The gap between the two cities makes Austin, TX 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.

Safety-wise, Sterling 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 6% less than in Sterling. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.