Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between The Dalles, OR and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in The Dalles, OR: $2,414 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

122

Cost of Living Index in The Dalles, OR
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The Dalles, OR Living Index
125

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

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The Dalles, OR

🇺🇸 United States

$2,414

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,414 in The Dalles, OR versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

The Dalles, OR $2,414
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,667 in The Dalles, OR versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

The Dalles, OR $3,667
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,921 in The Dalles, OR versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

The Dalles, OR $4,921
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in The Dalles, OR costs roughly 7% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: The Dalles, OR 77% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.97 $19.97

$20.35 $20.35

-1.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$93.8 $93.8

$84.7 $84.7

10.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$12.12 $12.12

0.17%

Cappuccino

$4.48 $4.48

$5.65 $5.65

-20.71%

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

$2.42 $2.42

$3.68 $3.68

-34.24%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.12 $2.12

$2.36 $2.36

-10.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.87 $4.87

$7.87 $7.87

-38.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.11 $7.11

$8.82 $8.82

-19.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.14 $1.14

-4.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.69 $3.69

-11.11%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.06 $4.06

$3.31 $3.31

22.66%

Eggs

$2.96 $2.96

$4.15 $4.15

-28.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.94 $14.94

$12.98 $12.98

15.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.07 $14.07

$13.86 $13.86

1.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.07 $11.07

$16.34 $16.34

-32.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$4.69 $4.69

1.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.45 $1.45

17.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.91 $3.91

$5.11 $5.11

-23.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.52 $4.52

-11.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$3.08 $3.08

1.30%

Onion (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.38 $2.38

39.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.80 $1.80

-0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.22 $2.22

-8.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.28 $11.28

$9.97 $9.97

13.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.23 $15.23

$15.05 $15.05

1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.91 $2.91

-41.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$3.33 $3.33

-10.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.06 $2.06

$1.22 $1.22

68.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$40.53 $40.53

45.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.78 $2.78

26.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.65 $1.65

33.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$49.16 $49.16

$35.39 $35.39

38.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.95 $0.95

29.47%

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

$25.2K $25.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-26.28%

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

$24.5K $24.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-8.42%

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

$188 $188

$223 $223

-15.73%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$58.5 $58.5

2.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

0.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.12 $40.12

$53.0 $53.0

-24.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$14.06 $14.06

-15.22%

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

$1,012 $1,012

$1,459 $1,459

-30.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.3K $16.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

-23.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.48 $40.48

$52.5 $52.5

-22.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.67 $34.67

$42.75 $42.75

-18.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$60.1 $60.1

$86.4 $86.4

-30.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$80.1 $80.1

$104 $104

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$2,112 $2,112

-25.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,163 $1,163

$1,230 $1,230

-5.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,589 $2,589

$3,863 $3,863

-32.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,067 $2,067

$2,407 $2,407

-14.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,439 $2,439

$7,426 $7,426

-67.15%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,112 $2,112

$3,060 $3,060

-30.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,842 $3,842

$5,179 $5,179

-25.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.59

6.82

-3.37%

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

Last update for The Dalles, OR: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

The Dalles, OR

$1.2K 48.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 5.8% $67

Groceries & Markets

The Dalles, OR

$382 15.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 7.2% $27

Monthly Utilities & Internet

The Dalles, OR

$319 13.2%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 10.6% $34

Eating Out

The Dalles, OR

$307 12.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 13.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

The Dalles, OR

$97 4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 32.5% $32

Getting Around

The Dalles, OR

$82 3.4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 31.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

The Dalles, OR

$64 2.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 26.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in The Dalles, OR and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 35% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $94 in The Dalles, OR vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $382 vs $410, with The Dalles, OR cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 The Dalles, OR

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:02 12:02 PM

14:02 2:02 PM

2 h ahead of The Dalles, OR

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,783

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

The Dalles, OR Austin, TX 2,650 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

The Dalles, OR
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

The Dalles, OR vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

The Dalles, OR wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making The Dalles, OR the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 26% lower in The Dalles, OR. 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: $1,565 in The Dalles, OR 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 $2,414 per month in The Dalles, OR versus $2,607 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 32% less than in The Dalles, OR. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though The Dalles, OR gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, The Dalles, OR is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

It comes down to priorities – The Dalles, OR wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.