Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Monroe, LA and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in West Monroe, LA and in Austin, TX: $2,628 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

121

Cost of Living Index in West Monroe, LA
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West Monroe, LA Living Index
129

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

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West Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,628

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,628 in West Monroe, LA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

West Monroe, LA $2,628
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,851 in West Monroe, LA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

West Monroe, LA $3,851
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,073 in West Monroe, LA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

West Monroe, LA $5,073
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in West Monroe, LA costs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Monroe, LA 94% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 $17.14

$20.63 $20.63

-16.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$84.6 $84.6

-10.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$12.07 $12.07

-10.60%

Cappuccino

$5.11 $5.11

$5.48 $5.48

-6.75%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$3.80 $3.80

-35.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.47 $2.47

-4.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$8.05 $8.05

-39.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$8.88 $8.88

-52.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.10 $1.10

$1.11 $1.11

-0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.72 $3.72

-25.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$3.37 $3.37

-18.40%

Eggs

$3.55 $3.55

$4.32 $4.32

-17.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.23 $10.23

$13.13 $13.13

-22.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.84 $11.84

$14.15 $14.15

-16.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.61 $18.61

$16.33 $16.33

13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$4.55 $4.55

-39.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.71 $4.71

-31.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.33 $1.33

$4.15 $4.15

-67.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.58 $2.58

-17.05%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 $1.34

$2.35 $2.35

-42.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.77 $1.77

8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.14 $2.14

-10.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.96 $7.96

$10.10 $10.10

-21.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.53 $13.53

$15.19 $15.19

-10.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$2.82 $2.82

-38.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$3.44 $3.44

-49.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.54 $1.54

31.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.80 $2.80

-13.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.52 $1.52

$1.60 $1.60

-5.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.27 $24.27

$34.34 $34.34

-29.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.94 $0.94

3.19%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-21.46%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.13%

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

$220 $220

$223 $223

-1.15%

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

$60.4 $60.4

$58.9 $58.9

2.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.3 $68.3

$70.6 $70.6

-3.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.69 $43.69

$57.7 $57.7

-24.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.94 $12.94

$14.26 $14.26

-9.26%

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

$1,020 $1,020

$1,511 $1,511

-32.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

-8.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.9 $50.9

$51.3 $51.3

-0.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.37 $38.37

$44.17 $44.17

-13.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.3 $83.3

$87.0 $87.0

-4.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$104 $104

42.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,807 $1,807

$1,940 $1,940

-6.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,433 $1,433

$1,316 $1,316

8.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,372 $2,372

$3,664 $3,664

-35.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$2,565 $2,565

-4.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,560 $2,560

$7,354 $7,354

-65.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,482 $2,482

$3,129 $3,129

-20.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.79

-0.59%

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

Last update for West Monroe, LA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

West Monroe, LA

$1.4K 54.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 8.2% $117

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Monroe, LA

$349 13.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1% $3.4

Groceries & Markets

West Monroe, LA

$331 12.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 22.7% $75

Eating Out

West Monroe, LA

$283 10.8%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 23.8% $67

Clothing & Footwear

West Monroe, LA

$144 5.5%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 10.6% $15

Sport & Entertainment

West Monroe, LA

$70 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24% $17

Getting Around

West Monroe, LA

$18 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 220% $40

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 $1,807 in West Monroe, LA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in West Monroe, LA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $331 vs $406 per month, with West Monroe, LA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Monroe, LA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

Same time as West Monroe, LA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,028

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

West Monroe, LA Austin, TX 590 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

West Monroe, LA
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

West Monroe, LA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Monroe, LA wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making West Monroe, LA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,941 in West Monroe, LA and $4,046 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,807 in West Monroe, LA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,020 in West Monroe, LA 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 West Monroe, LA – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 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. West Monroe, LA 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.

Expats usually find West Monroe, LA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.