Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Valdez, AK and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,832 in Valdez, AK, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in Valdez, AK
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Valdez, AK Living Index
125

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

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Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 United States

$2,832

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,832 in Valdez, AK versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Valdez, AK $2,832
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,984 in Valdez, AK versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Valdez, AK $3,984
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,136 in Valdez, AK versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Valdez, AK $5,136
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Valdez, AK is roughly 9% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Valdez, AK 108% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.31 $23.31

$20.35 $20.35

14.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$84.7 $84.7

18.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$20.23 $20.23

$12.12 $12.12

66.91%

Cappuccino

$4.24 $4.24

$5.65 $5.65

-24.96%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$3.68 $3.68

-33.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.36 $2.36

-2.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 $7.11

$7.87 $7.87

-9.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.91 $8.91

$8.82 $8.82

1.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$1.14 $1.14

-8.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.69 $3.69

-4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.31 $3.31

31.12%

Eggs

$4.04 $4.04

$4.15 $4.15

-2.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.69 $12.69

$12.98 $12.98

-2.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$13.86 $13.86

-16.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.11 $17.11

$16.34 $16.34

4.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.69 $4.69

4.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.45 $1.45

14.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$5.11 $5.11

-13.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.52 $4.52

4.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.08 $3.08

-10.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.38 $2.38

29.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.80 $1.80

22.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.22 $2.22

2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.32 $10.32

$9.97 $9.97

3.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.91 $14.91

$15.05 $15.05

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.91 $2.91

-24.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 $3.27

$3.33 $3.33

-1.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.22 $1.22

56.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.2 $65.2

$40.53 $40.53

60.77%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.78 $2.78

1.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.65 $1.65

10.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.54 $33.54

$35.39 $35.39

-5.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$0.95 $0.95

33.68%

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

$29.3K $29.3K

$34.2K $34.2K

-14.43%

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

$29.7K $29.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

11.00%

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

$305 $305

$223 $223

36.72%

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

$58.6 $58.6

$58.5 $58.5

0.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$97.0 $97.0

$71.2 $71.2

36.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$53.0 $53.0

-25.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.11 $14.11

$14.06 $14.06

0.36%

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

$1,382 $1,382

$1,459 $1,459

-5.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K $22.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

6.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.44 $46.44

$52.5 $52.5

-11.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$46.54 $46.54

$42.75 $42.75

8.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.9 $79.9

$86.4 $86.4

-7.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$104 $104

17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,631 $1,631

$2,112 $2,112

-22.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 $1,315

$1,230 $1,230

6.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 $2,665

$3,863 $3,863

-31.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,853 $1,853

$2,407 $2,407

-22.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,457 $2,457

$7,426 $7,426

-66.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,292 $2,292

$3,060 $3,060

-25.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,491 $7,491

$5,179 $5,179

44.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.82

-3.67%

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

Last update for Valdez, AK: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Valdez, AK

$1.3K 46.5%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 6.4% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Valdez, AK

$460 16.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 23.4% $108

Groceries & Markets

Valdez, AK

$400 14.1%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 2.4% $9.4

Eating Out

Valdez, AK

$370 13.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 6% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Valdez, AK

$133 4.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 3.3% $4.4

Getting Around

Valdez, AK

$85 3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 33.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Valdez, AK

$68 2.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 20% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,631 in Valdez, AK and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Valdez, AK pays 45% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $100 in Valdez, AK vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $400 vs $410, with Valdez, AK cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Valdez, AK

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:43 10:43 AM

13:43 1:43 PM

3 h ahead of Valdez, AK

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,000

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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Between locations

Valdez, AK Austin, TX 4,910 km ≈ 7 h nonstop flight

From you

Valdez, AK
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

Valdez, AK vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Valdez, AK. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 45% higher in Valdez, AK, 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: $1,631 in Valdez, AK versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,382 in Valdez, AK 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $100 in Valdez, AK. 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.

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