Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toms River, NJ and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,884 in Toms River, NJ, rent and utilities included – about $3,300 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Toms River, NJ outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

138

Cost of Living Index in Toms River, NJ
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Toms River, NJ Living Index
125

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

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Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 United States

$2,884

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,884 in Toms River, NJ versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Toms River, NJ $2,884
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,311 in Toms River, NJ versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Toms River, NJ $4,311
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,738 in Toms River, NJ versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Toms River, NJ $5,738
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Toms River, NJ is roughly 11% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toms River, NJ 112% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.87 $19.87

$20.35 $20.35

-2.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.2 $74.2

$84.7 $84.7

-12.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.05 $12.05

$12.12 $12.12

-0.58%

Cappuccino

$5.53 $5.53

$5.65 $5.65

-2.12%

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

$2.57 $2.57

$3.68 $3.68

-30.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.86 $1.86

$2.36 $2.36

-21.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.03 $5.03

$7.87 $7.87

-36.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.89 $6.89

$8.82 $8.82

-21.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.14 $1.14

23.68%

White Bread (500g)

$4.61 $4.61

$3.69 $3.69

24.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 $2.42

$3.31 $3.31

-26.89%

Eggs

$4.61 $4.61

$4.15 $4.15

11.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.29 $16.29

$12.98 $12.98

25.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.95 $16.95

$13.86 $13.86

22.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.81 $16.81

$16.34 $16.34

2.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$4.69 $4.69

27.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.30 $1.30

$1.45 $1.45

-10.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$5.11 $5.11

0.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.52 $4.52

30.97%

Potato (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.08 $3.08

-48.70%

Onion (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.38 $2.38

15.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.80 $1.80

40.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.22 $2.22

-12.61%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.84 $9.84

$9.97 $9.97

-1.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.09 $10.09

$15.05 $15.05

-32.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.91 $2.91

-3.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.42 $3.42

$3.33 $3.33

2.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.78 $2.78

7.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.65 $1.65

29.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.41 $41.41

$35.39 $35.39

17.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.95 $0.95

-3.16%

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

$30.8K $30.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-10.05%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.07%

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

$243 $243

$223 $223

8.76%

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

$37.24 $37.24

$58.5 $58.5

-36.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$71.2 $71.2

-12.94%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.15 $30.15

$53.0 $53.0

-43.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 $17.15

$14.06 $14.06

21.98%

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

$3,103 $3,103

$1,459 $1,459

112.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$34.4K $34.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

61.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.8 $69.8

$52.5 $52.5

32.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$75.8 $75.8

$42.75 $42.75

77.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$86.4 $86.4

39.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

17.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,617 $1,617

$2,112 $2,112

-23.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,527 $1,527

$1,230 $1,230

24.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,900 $2,900

$3,863 $3,863

-24.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,766 $2,766

$2,407 $2,407

14.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,268 $5,268

$5,179 $5,179

1.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.82

-2.20%

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

Last update for Toms River, NJ: 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

Toms River, NJ

$1.5K 53%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 19.4% $296

Groceries & Markets

Toms River, NJ

$445 15.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 7.9% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toms River, NJ

$342 11.9%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 3.2% $11

Eating Out

Toms River, NJ

$318 11%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 9.4% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Toms River, NJ

$174 6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 26.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Toms River, NJ

$64 2.2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 25.9% $17

Getting Around

Toms River, NJ

$14 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 315% $43

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 $1,617 in Toms River, NJ and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $74 in Toms River, NJ vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Toms River, NJ

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:50 4:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

1 h behind Toms River, NJ

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

95,438

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Toms River, NJ Austin, TX 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Toms River, NJ
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

Toms River, NJ vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Toms River, NJ. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,326 in Toms River, NJ and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,617 in Toms River, NJ versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,103 in Toms River, NJ versus $1,459 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 Toms River, NJ – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.