Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Waltham, MA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,201 in Waltham, MA, rent and utilities included – about $18,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

207

Cost of Living Index in Waltham, MA
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Waltham, MA Living Index
130

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

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Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,201

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,201 in Waltham, MA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Waltham, MA $4,201
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,499 in Waltham, MA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Waltham, MA $6,499
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,798 in Waltham, MA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Waltham, MA $8,798
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Waltham, MA is roughly 58% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Waltham, MA 211% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.71 $24.71

$20.77 $20.77

18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.1 $97.1

$84.6 $84.6

14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$12.32 $12.32

-1.46%

Cappuccino

$5.37 $5.37

$5.63 $5.63

-4.62%

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

$2.86 $2.86

$3.72 $3.72

-23.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.50 $2.50

-7.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.98 $4.98

$8.05 $8.05

-38.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.10 $8.10

$9.01 $9.01

-10.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.12 $1.12

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.00 $4.00

$3.75 $3.75

6.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.26 $3.26

65.64%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$4.17 $4.17

16.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.08 $11.08

$12.90 $12.90

-14.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.44 $14.44

$14.16 $14.16

1.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.44 $17.44

$16.22 $16.22

7.52%

Apples (1kg)

$6.69 $6.69

$4.33 $4.33

54.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.75 $1.75

$1.46 $1.46

19.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.32 $5.32

$4.51 $4.51

17.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.34 $4.34

29.49%

Potato (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$2.58 $2.58

67.44%

Onion (1kg)

$4.02 $4.02

$2.35 $2.35

71.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.89 $2.89

$1.78 $1.78

62.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.22 $2.22

32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$12.70 $12.70

$9.88 $9.88

28.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.59 $13.59

$15.08 $15.08

-9.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.92 $2.92

-26.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.46 $3.46

21.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.1 $59.1

$41.72 $41.72

41.75%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.73 $2.73

-3.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.66 $1.66

2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.34 $28.34

$35.30 $35.30

-19.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$0.95 $0.95

10.53%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.16%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.11%

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

$321 $321

$229 $229

40.26%

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

$55.5 $55.5

$59.4 $59.4

-6.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$85.0 $85.0

$69.9 $69.9

21.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$245 $245

$57.2 $57.2

328.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.71 $14.71

$14.28 $14.28

3.01%

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

$1,868 $1,868

$1,506 $1,506

24.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.3K $30.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

41.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$55.6 $55.6

$52.8 $52.8

5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.65 $37.65

$43.82 $43.82

-14.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.2 $81.2

$84.8 $84.8

-4.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.5 $99.5

$103 $103

-3.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$1,907 $1,907

28.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,454 $2,454

$1,274 $1,274

92.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,393 $5,393

$3,664 $3,664

47.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,043 $5,043

$2,538 $2,538

98.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,090 $5,090

$5,121 $5,121

-0.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.79

-2.21%

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

Last update for Waltham, MA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Waltham, MA

$2.5K 58.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 48.1% $1.2K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Waltham, MA

$462 11%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 22.4% $103

Groceries & Markets

Waltham, MA

$457 10.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 11.5% $53

Eating Out

Waltham, MA

$360 8.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1.8% $6.4

Sport & Entertainment

Waltham, MA

$275 6.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 68.8% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Waltham, MA

$123 2.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.8% $4.7

Getting Around

Waltham, MA

$70 * 1.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 16.5% $12

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 $2,457 in Waltham, MA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $97.0 in Waltham, MA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $457 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Waltham, MA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:56 4:56 AM

03:56 3:56 AM

1 h behind Waltham, MA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,636

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Waltham, MA Austin, TX 2,710 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Waltham, MA
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

Waltham, MA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Waltham, MA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1% 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: $2,457 in Waltham, MA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,201 per month in Waltham, MA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 42% less than in Waltham, MA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Waltham, MA and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Waltham, MA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.