Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Stillwater, MN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,884 in Stillwater, MN, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Stillwater, MN
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Stillwater, MN Living Index
130

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

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Stillwater, MN

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,884 in Stillwater, MN versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Stillwater, MN $2,884
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,047 in Stillwater, MN versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Stillwater, MN $4,047
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,209 in Stillwater, MN versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Stillwater, MN $5,209
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Stillwater, MN is roughly 8% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Stillwater, MN 114% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 $17.57

$20.77 $20.77

-15.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$84.6 $84.6

-4.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.32 $12.32

-1.62%

Cappuccino

$5.85 $5.85

$5.63 $5.63

3.91%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.72 $3.72

-17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.50 $2.50

-9.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.85 $6.85

$8.05 $8.05

-14.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.04 $8.04

$9.01 $9.01

-10.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.90 $0.90

$1.12 $1.12

-19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.61 $3.61

$3.75 $3.75

-3.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$6.49 $6.49

$3.26 $3.26

99.08%

Eggs

$3.59 $3.59

$4.17 $4.17

-13.91%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.24 $10.24

$12.90 $12.90

-20.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.54 $13.54

$14.16 $14.16

-4.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.88 $18.88

$16.22 $16.22

16.40%

Apples (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.33 $4.33

3.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.46 $1.46

23.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.57 $4.57

$4.51 $4.51

1.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.34 $4.34

20.97%

Potato (1kg)

$4.31 $4.31

$2.58 $2.58

67.05%

Onion (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$2.35 $2.35

77.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.78 $1.78

28.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.22 $2.22

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.94 $12.94

$9.88 $9.88

30.97%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.69 $15.69

$15.08 $15.08

4.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.92 $2.92

-2.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 $5.78

$3.46 $3.46

67.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.9 $82.9

$41.72 $41.72

98.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.06 $5.06

$2.73 $2.73

85.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.66 $1.66

4.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.82 $23.82

$35.30 $35.30

-32.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$0.95 $0.95

6.32%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.11%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.96%

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

$131 $131

$229 $229

-42.71%

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

$54.7 $54.7

$59.4 $59.4

-7.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.7 $66.7

$69.9 $69.9

-4.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$127 $127

$57.2 $57.2

121.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.50 $34.50

$16.33 $16.33

111.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.54 $15.54

$14.28 $14.28

8.82%

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

$1,383 $1,383

$1,506 $1,506

-8.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

67.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.7 $58.7

$52.8 $52.8

11.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.66 $44.66

$43.82 $43.82

1.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.5 $90.5

$84.8 $84.8

6.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.40 $49.40

$103 $103

-52.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,492 $1,492

$1,907 $1,907

-21.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,512 $1,512

$1,274 $1,274

18.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,219 $2,219

$3,664 $3,664

-39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,083 $2,083

$2,538 $2,538

-17.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,067 $3,067

$7,614 $7,614

-59.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,899 $2,899

$3,157 $3,157

-8.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,855 $6,855

$5,121 $5,121

33.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.6

6.79

-2.80%

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

Last update for Stillwater, MN: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Stillwater, MN

$1.5K 52.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 15.8% $238

Groceries & Markets

Stillwater, MN

$437 15.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 7.4% $32

Eating Out

Stillwater, MN

$319 11.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 11% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Stillwater, MN

$253 8.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 41.9% $106

Sport & Entertainment

Stillwater, MN

$158 5.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 45.6% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Stillwater, MN

$109 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16.9% $19

Getting Around

Stillwater, MN

$97 * 3.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 39.2% $38

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 $1,492 in Stillwater, MN and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Stillwater, MN pays 34% 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: $81.0 in Stillwater, MN vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $437 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Stillwater, MN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:56 5:56 PM

Same time as Stillwater, MN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,818

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Stillwater, MN Austin, TX 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Stillwater, MN
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Stillwater, MN. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% higher in Stillwater, MN, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,492 in Stillwater, MN 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 $2,884 per month in Stillwater, MN versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 99% less than in Stillwater, MN. 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.

Safety-wise, Stillwater, MN 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 8% less than in Stillwater, MN. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.