Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Union City, TN and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Union City, TN: $1,653 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Union City, TN
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Union City, TN Living Index
129

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

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Union City, TN

🇺🇸 United States

$1,653

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Union City, TN $1,653
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,486 in Union City, TN versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Union City, TN $2,486
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,318 in Union City, TN versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Union City, TN $3,318
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Union City, TN costs roughly 39% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Union City, TN 22% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.87 $9.87

$20.63 $20.63

-52.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$50.3 $50.3

$84.6 $84.6

-40.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 $6.95

$12.07 $12.07

-42.42%

Cappuccino

$3.11 $3.11

$5.48 $5.48

-43.25%

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

$2.20 $2.20

$3.80 $3.80

-42.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.56 $1.56

$2.47 $2.47

-36.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 $3.90

$8.05 $8.05

-51.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.89 $3.89

$8.88 $8.88

-56.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$1.11 $1.11

-17.12%

White Bread (500g)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.72 $3.72

-36.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.37 $3.37

-38.58%

Eggs

$2.69 $2.69

$4.32 $4.32

-37.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.88 $7.88

$13.13 $13.13

-39.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 $8.85

$14.15 $14.15

-37.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.69 $18.69

$16.33 $16.33

14.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.44 $4.44

$4.55 $4.55

-2.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.46 $1.46

-13.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$4.71 $4.71

-42.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$4.15 $4.15

6.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$2.58 $2.58

-15.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.35 $2.35

-22.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.14 $2.14

-35.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.83 $6.83

$10.10 $10.10

-32.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.97 $13.97

$15.19 $15.19

-8.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.05 $2.05

$2.82 $2.82

-27.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.44 $3.44

-46.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.54 $1.54

20.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.80 $2.80

73.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.60 $1.60

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$21.16 $21.16

$34.34 $34.34

-38.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.83 $0.83

$0.94 $0.94

-11.70%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

9.10%

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

$27.3K $27.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.91%

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

$228 $228

$223 $223

2.46%

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

$33.13 $33.13

$58.9 $58.9

-43.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.2 $75.2

$70.6 $70.6

6.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.53 $41.53

$57.7 $57.7

-28.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.06 $7.06

$16.53 $16.53

-57.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.82 $14.82

$14.26 $14.26

3.93%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$1,511 $1,511

-3.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.8K $30.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

47.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.4 $55.4

$51.3 $51.3

7.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.06 $43.06

$44.17 $44.17

-2.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.9 $90.9

$87.0 $87.0

4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$136 $136

$104 $104

30.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$724 $724

$1,940 $1,940

-62.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$585 $585

$1,316 $1,316

-55.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,155 $1,155

$3,664 $3,664

-68.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,099 $1,099

$2,565 $2,565

-57.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,327 $2,327

$7,354 $7,354

-68.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,591 $2,591

$3,129 $3,129

-17.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,019 $2,019

$5,286 $5,286

-61.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

6.79

-3.53%

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

Last update for Union City, TN: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Union City, TN

$585 35.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 125% $731

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Union City, TN

$336 20.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 4.7% $16

Groceries & Markets

Union City, TN

$315 19%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 29.1% $91

Eating Out

Union City, TN

$179 10.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 95.1% $171

Clothing & Footwear

Union City, TN

$147 8.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 12% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Union City, TN

$71 4.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.1% $15

Getting Around

Union City, TN

$20 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 192% $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 $724 in Union City, TN and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 162% 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: $50.0 in Union City, TN vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $315 vs $406 per month, with Union City, TN cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Union City, TN

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:49 11:49 PM

Same time as Union City, TN

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

63,930

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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Highest

Between locations

Union City, TN Austin, TX 1,060 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Union City, TN
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

Union City, TN vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Union City, TN wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Union City, TN the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 162% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $724 in Union City, TN versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,465 in Union City, TN 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 Union City, TN – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,653 in Union City, TN versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Union City, TN but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Union City, TN 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 Union City, TN gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.