Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sugar Land, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sugar Land, TX: $2,251 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

109

Cost of Living Index in Sugar Land, TX
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Sugar Land, TX Living Index
129

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

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Sugar Land, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,251

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Sugar Land, TX versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Sugar Land, TX $2,251
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,312 in Sugar Land, TX versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Sugar Land, TX $3,312
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,374 in Sugar Land, TX versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Sugar Land, TX $4,374
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Sugar Land, TX costs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sugar Land, TX 66% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$20.63 $20.63

-1.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.5 $75.5

$84.6 $84.6

-10.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.89 $10.89

$12.07 $12.07

-9.78%

Cappuccino

$5.40 $5.40

$5.48 $5.48

-1.46%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.80 $3.80

-30.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.47 $2.47

-8.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.95 $5.95

$8.05 $8.05

-26.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.02 $8.02

$8.88 $8.88

-9.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.11 $1.11

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.72 $3.72

-11.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.37 $3.37

-0.30%

Eggs

$3.92 $3.92

$4.32 $4.32

-9.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.29 $11.29

$13.13 $13.13

-14.01%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.94 $12.94

$14.15 $14.15

-8.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.45 $16.45

$16.33 $16.33

0.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.55 $4.55

-3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$4.71 $4.71

-37.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.15 $4.15

-10.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.58 $2.58

-14.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.35 $2.35

-1.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.77 $1.77

1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.14 $2.14

3.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.87 $9.87

$10.10 $10.10

-2.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.79 $14.79

$15.19 $15.19

-2.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.82 $2.82

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$3.44 $3.44

-12.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.79 $2.79

$2.80 $2.80

-0.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.60 $1.60

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.16 $24.16

$34.34 $34.34

-29.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.94 $0.94

1.06%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

1.14%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.29%

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

$199 $199

$223 $223

-10.69%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$58.9 $58.9

-1.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$70.6 $70.6

-1.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.17 $40.17

$57.7 $57.7

-30.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.94 $13.94

$14.26 $14.26

-2.24%

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

$1,523 $1,523

$1,511 $1,511

0.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.0K $21.0K

$20.9K $20.9K

0.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.1 $50.1

$51.3 $51.3

-2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.64 $43.64

$44.17 $44.17

-1.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.6 $85.6

$87.0 $87.0

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$94.6 $94.6

$104 $104

-9.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,363 $1,363

$1,940 $1,940

-29.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,022 $1,022

$1,316 $1,316

-22.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 $2,061

$3,664 $3,664

-43.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 $1,667

$2,565 $2,565

-35.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,842 $1,842

$7,354 $7,354

-74.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,873 $1,873

$3,129 $3,129

-40.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,203 $7,203

$5,286 $5,286

36.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.79

-1.33%

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

Last update for Sugar Land, TX: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sugar Land, TX

$1K 45.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 28.7% $294

Groceries & Markets

Sugar Land, TX

$375 16.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8.3% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sugar Land, TX

$327 14.5%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 7.8% $26

Eating Out

Sugar Land, TX

$326 14.5%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 7.5% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Sugar Land, TX

$123 5.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 4.7% $5.8

Sport & Entertainment

Sugar Land, TX

$68 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 26.7% $18

Getting Around

Sugar Land, TX

$10 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 469% $48

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 $1,363 in Sugar Land, TX and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sugar Land, TX pays 36% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $76.0 in Sugar Land, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $406 per month, with Sugar Land, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sugar Land, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:47 7:47 AM

Same time as Sugar Land, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

79,943

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

Sugar Land, TX Austin, TX 220 km

From you

Sugar Land, TX
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

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

Sugar Land, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sugar Land, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 36% higher in Sugar Land, TX, 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: $1,363 in Sugar Land, TX versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,523 in Sugar Land, TX versus $1,511 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 Sugar Land, TX – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,251 in Sugar Land, TX versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sugar Land, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sugar Land, 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.

Expats usually find Sugar Land, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.