Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Palm Beach, FL and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,126 in West Palm Beach, FL, rent and utilities included – about $5,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in West Palm Beach, FL outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

152

Cost of Living Index in West Palm Beach, FL
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West Palm Beach, FL Living Index
130

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

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West Palm Beach, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,126

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,126 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

West Palm Beach, FL $3,126
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,609 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

West Palm Beach, FL $4,609
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,092 in West Palm Beach, FL versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

West Palm Beach, FL $6,092
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in West Palm Beach, FL is roughly 17% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Palm Beach, FL 132% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.06 $21.06

$20.77 $20.77

1.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.4 $78.4

$84.6 $84.6

-7.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$12.32 $12.32

-2.35%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.63 $5.63

-7.99%

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

$2.45 $2.45

$3.72 $3.72

-34.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.79 $1.79

$2.50 $2.50

-28.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.82 $5.82

$8.05 $8.05

-27.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.08 $8.08

$9.01 $9.01

-10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.01 $1.01

$1.12 $1.12

-9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.03 $3.03

$3.75 $3.75

-19.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.26 $3.26

2.15%

Eggs

$3.50 $3.50

$4.17 $4.17

-16.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.87 $11.87

$12.90 $12.90

-7.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.84 $10.84

$14.16 $14.16

-23.45%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.44 $18.44

$16.22 $16.22

13.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$4.33 $4.33

10.62%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.46 $1.46

21.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$4.51 $4.51

-32.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.34 $4.34

9.68%

Potato (1kg)

$3.14 $3.14

$2.58 $2.58

21.71%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.35 $2.35

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.59 $2.59

$1.78 $1.78

45.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.22 $2.22

10.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.06 $9.06

$9.88 $9.88

-8.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.88 $12.88

$15.08 $15.08

-14.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.92 $2.92

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.60 $3.60

$3.46 $3.46

4.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.49 $1.49

32.89%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.6 $69.6

$41.72 $41.72

66.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.73 $2.73

8.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.66 $1.66

12.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.71 $34.71

$35.30 $35.30

-1.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.04 $1.04

$0.95 $0.95

9.47%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.65%

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

$24.9K $24.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.11%

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

$201 $201

$229 $229

-12.40%

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

$62.4 $62.4

$59.4 $59.4

5.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.1 $77.1

$69.9 $69.9

10.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.28 $49.28

$57.2 $57.2

-13.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.68 $25.68

$16.33 $16.33

57.26%

Cinema Ticket

$9.89 $9.89

$14.28 $14.28

-30.74%

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

$1,465 $1,465

$1,506 $1,506

-2.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

0.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$52.8 $52.8

19.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.60 $41.60

$43.82 $43.82

-5.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.3 $93.3

$84.8 $84.8

10.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$109 $109

$103 $103

6.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,221 $2,221

$1,907 $1,907

16.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,778 $1,778

$1,274 $1,274

39.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,002 $4,002

$3,664 $3,664

9.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,097 $3,097

$2,538 $2,538

22.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,310 $4,310

$7,614 $7,614

-43.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,770 $3,770

$3,157 $3,157

19.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,080 $4,080

$5,121 $5,121

-20.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.56

6.79

-3.39%

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

Last update for West Palm Beach, FL: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

West Palm Beach, FL

$1.8K 56.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 28.3% $504

Groceries & Markets

West Palm Beach, FL

$381 12.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 6.1% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Palm Beach, FL

$340 10.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 5.4% $18

Eating Out

West Palm Beach, FL

$329 10.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 7.6% $25

Clothing & Footwear

West Palm Beach, FL

$138 4.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 7.5% $10

Getting Around

West Palm Beach, FL

$90 2.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 34.7% $31

Sport & Entertainment

West Palm Beach, FL

$69 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.2% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,221 in West Palm Beach, FL and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 25% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $78.0 in West Palm Beach, FL vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $381 vs $405 per month, with West Palm Beach, FL cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Palm Beach, FL

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:35 8:35 AM

07:35 7:35 AM

1 h behind West Palm Beach, FL

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

117,415

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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Between locations

West Palm Beach, FL Austin, TX 1,770 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

West Palm Beach, FL
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 Palm Beach, FL vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in West Palm Beach, FL. 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 25% 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: $2,221 in West Palm Beach, FL 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 $3,126 per month in West Palm Beach, FL versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 17% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 67% less than in West Palm Beach, FL. 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 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 17% less than in West Palm Beach, FL. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.