Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Urbana, IL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Urbana, IL: $1,871 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Urbana, IL
Learn more

Urbana, IL Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 United States

$1,871

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,871 in Urbana, IL versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Urbana, IL $1,871
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,130 in Urbana, IL versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Urbana, IL $2,130
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,389 in Urbana, IL versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Urbana, IL $2,389
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Urbana, IL costs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Urbana, IL 37% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$14.75 $14.75

$20.35 $20.35

-27.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 $60.9

$84.7 $84.7

-28.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.04 $10.04

$12.12 $12.12

-17.16%

Cappuccino

$4.85 $4.85

$5.65 $5.65

-14.16%

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

$2.23 $2.23

$3.68 $3.68

-39.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.36 $2.36

-25.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 $5.59

$7.87 $7.87

-28.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.62 $5.62

$8.82 $8.82

-36.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.79 $0.79

$1.14 $1.14

-30.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.69 $3.69

-15.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.31 $3.31

-9.67%

Eggs

$3.98 $3.98

$4.15 $4.15

-4.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.11 $12.11

$12.98 $12.98

-6.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.64 $8.64

$13.86 $13.86

-37.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.18 $14.18

$16.34 $16.34

-13.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$4.69 $4.69

-14.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.45 $1.45

11.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$5.11 $5.11

-38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.39 $4.39

$4.52 $4.52

-2.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.19 $2.19

$3.08 $3.08

-28.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.38 $2.38

10.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.80 $1.80

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.38 $1.38

$2.22 $2.22

-37.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.47 $12.47

$9.97 $9.97

25.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.05 $15.05

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$2.91 $2.91

-28.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.33 $3.33

1.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.22 $1.22

-19.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.78 $2.78

10.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 $0.64

$1.65 $1.65

-61.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.53 $24.53

$35.39 $35.39

-30.69%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 $1.17

$0.95 $0.95

23.16%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.2K $34.2K

-18.87%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.14%

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

$240 $240

$223 $223

7.45%

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

$45.26 $45.26

$58.5 $58.5

-22.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.2 $62.2

$71.2 $71.2

-12.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.25 $13.25

$14.06 $14.06

-5.76%

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

$1,009 $1,009

$1,459 $1,459

-30.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K $20.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

-6.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.71 $47.71

$52.5 $52.5

-9.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.5 $52.5

$42.75 $42.75

22.90%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.8 $99.8

$86.4 $86.4

15.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$104 $104

17.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$862 $862

$2,112 $2,112

-59.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$743 $743

$1,230 $1,230

-39.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,728 $1,728

$7,426 $7,426

-76.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,749 $1,749

$3,060 $3,060

-42.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,557 $6,557

$5,179 $5,179

26.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

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

Last update for Urbana, IL: 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

Urbana, IL

$743 39.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 65.7% $488

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Urbana, IL

$347 18.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 1.6% $5.6

Groceries & Markets

Urbana, IL

$338 18.1%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 21.3% $72

Eating Out

Urbana, IL

$262 14%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 33.1% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Urbana, IL

$145 7.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 11.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Urbana, IL

$26 * 1.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 206% $55

Getting Around

Urbana, IL

$10 * 0.6%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 454% $46

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 $862 in Urbana, IL and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Urbana, IL pays 27% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $61 in Urbana, IL vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $338 vs $410 per month, with Urbana, IL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Urbana, IL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:18 5:18 PM

Same time as Urbana, IL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,250

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

Urbana, IL Austin, TX 1,390 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Urbana, IL
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

Urbana, IL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Urbana, IL wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Urbana, IL the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% higher in Urbana, IL, 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: $862 in Urbana, IL versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,009 in Urbana, IL 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 Urbana, IL – a meal for two runs $61 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.