Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Traverse City, MI and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Traverse City, MI and in Austin, TX: $2,657 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Traverse City, MI
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Traverse City, MI Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Traverse City, MI

🇺🇸 United States

$2,657

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,657 in Traverse City, MI versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Traverse City, MI $2,657
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,969 in Traverse City, MI versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Traverse City, MI $3,969
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,280 in Traverse City, MI versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Traverse City, MI $5,280
Austin, TX $5,454

Monthly costs are close between Traverse City, MI and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Traverse City, MI 95% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.93 $21.93

$20.35 $20.35

7.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.2 $76.2

$84.7 $84.7

-10.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 $11.20

$12.12 $12.12

-7.59%

Cappuccino

$4.72 $4.72

$5.65 $5.65

-16.46%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$3.68 $3.68

-33.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$2.36 $2.36

-11.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$7.87 $7.87

-36.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.56 $6.56

$8.82 $8.82

-25.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.72 $0.72

$1.14 $1.14

-36.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.07 $3.07

$3.69 $3.69

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$3.31 $3.31

35.35%

Eggs

$2.68 $2.68

$4.15 $4.15

-35.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.15 $19.15

$12.98 $12.98

47.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.21 $12.21

$13.86 $13.86

-11.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.64 $21.64

$16.34 $16.34

32.44%

Apples (1kg)

$6.77 $6.77

$4.69 $4.69

44.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.45 $1.45

-4.83%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$5.11 $5.11

-25.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.89 $6.89

$4.52 $4.52

52.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.08 $3.08

-12.66%

Onion (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$2.38 $2.38

35.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.27 $2.27

$1.80 $1.80

26.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.22 $2.22

18.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.86 $5.86

$9.97 $9.97

-41.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$15.05 $15.05

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.03 $2.03

$2.91 $2.91

-30.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.04 $7.04

$3.33 $3.33

111.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.91 $5.91

$1.22 $1.22

384.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$29.69 $29.69

$40.53 $40.53

-26.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.96 $0.96

$0.95 $0.95

1.05%

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

$35.1K $35.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

2.68%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.09%

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

$116 $116

$223 $223

-48.03%

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

$36.98 $36.98

$58.5 $58.5

-36.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$71.2 $71.2

-4.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.6 $62.6

$53.0 $53.0

18.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$10.19 $10.19

$14.06 $14.06

-27.52%

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

$1,026 $1,026

$1,459 $1,459

-29.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$11.3K $11.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

-47.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.3 $58.3

$52.5 $52.5

10.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.48 $42.48

$42.75 $42.75

-0.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$102 $102

$86.4 $86.4

18.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$85.2 $85.2

$104 $104

-17.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,014 $2,014

$2,112 $2,112

-4.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,398 $1,398

$1,230 $1,230

13.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,875 $3,875

$3,863 $3,863

0.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,378 $2,378

$2,407 $2,407

-1.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,417 $3,417

$7,426 $7,426

-53.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,436 $3,436

$3,060 $3,060

12.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,812 $2,812

$5,179 $5,179

-45.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

6.82

-7.33%

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

Last update for Traverse City, MI: 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

Traverse City, MI

$1.4K 52.6%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 12% $168

Groceries & Markets

Traverse City, MI

$451 17%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 9.1% $41

Eating Out

Traverse City, MI

$322 12.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 8.2% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Traverse City, MI

$221 8.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 59.8% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Traverse City, MI

$130 4.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Traverse City, MI

$83 3.1%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 2.2% $1.8

Getting Around

Traverse City, MI

$53 * 2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 5.9% $3.1

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 $2,014 in Traverse City, MI and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 84% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $76 in Traverse City, MI vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $451 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Traverse City, MI

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:15 3:15 PM

14:15 2:15 PM

1 h behind Traverse City, MI

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,678

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Traverse City, MI Austin, TX 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Traverse City, MI
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

Traverse City, MI vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Traverse City, MI. 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: $2,014 in Traverse City, MI versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,026 in Traverse City, MI 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 Traverse City, MI – a meal for two runs $76 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.