Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Plains, MO and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in West Plains, MO: $2,444 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in West Plains, MO
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West Plains, MO Living Index
129

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

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West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,444

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,444 in West Plains, MO versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

West Plains, MO $2,444
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,577 in West Plains, MO versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

West Plains, MO $3,577
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,710 in West Plains, MO versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

West Plains, MO $4,710
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in West Plains, MO costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Plains, MO 80% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.86 $16.86

$20.63 $20.63

-18.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.9 $75.9

$84.6 $84.6

-10.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.91 $10.91

$12.07 $12.07

-9.61%

Cappuccino

$5.14 $5.14

$5.48 $5.48

-6.20%

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

$2.97 $2.97

$3.80 $3.80

-21.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.47 $2.47

-5.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.44 $5.44

$8.05 $8.05

-32.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 $6.52

$8.88 $8.88

-26.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.11 $1.11

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.72 $3.72

-26.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.69 $2.69

$3.37 $3.37

-20.18%

Eggs

$3.51 $3.51

$4.32 $4.32

-18.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.12 $10.12

$13.13 $13.13

-22.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.08 $12.08

$14.15 $14.15

-14.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.83 $22.83

$16.33 $16.33

39.80%

Apples (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$4.55 $4.55

7.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.46 $1.46

-3.42%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$4.71 $4.71

-5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$4.15 $4.15

-9.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.58 $2.58

6.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.35 $2.35

6.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.77 $1.77

11.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.14 $2.14

-11.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.38 $9.38

$10.10 $10.10

-7.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.62 $13.62

$15.19 $15.19

-10.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.82 $2.82

-38.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 $1.73

$3.44 $3.44

-49.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.54 $1.54

40.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.54 $2.54

$2.80 $2.80

-9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.48 $1.48

$1.60 $1.60

-7.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.44 $24.44

$34.34 $34.34

-28.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.92 $0.92

$0.94 $0.94

-2.13%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.46%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.54%

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

$218 $218

$223 $223

-2.17%

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

$60.1 $60.1

$58.9 $58.9

1.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.7 $68.7

$70.6 $70.6

-2.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$45.73 $45.73

$57.7 $57.7

-20.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$13.09 $13.09

$14.26 $14.26

-8.20%

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

$1,049 $1,049

$1,511 $1,511

-30.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.1K $19.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

-8.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$51.3 $51.3

-0.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.46 $39.46

$44.17 $44.17

-10.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.5 $83.5

$87.0 $87.0

-4.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$148 $148

$104 $104

42.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,592 $1,592

$1,940 $1,940

-17.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,196 $1,196

$1,316 $1,316

-9.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 $2,814

$3,664 $3,664

-23.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,961 $1,961

$2,565 $2,565

-23.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,467 $2,467

$7,354 $7,354

-66.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,124 $2,124

$3,129 $3,129

-32.12%

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 Plains, MO: October 20, 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 Plains, MO

$1.2K 48.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 10% $120

Groceries & Markets

West Plains, MO

$375 15.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8.2% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Plains, MO

$347 14.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1.6% $5.6

Eating Out

West Plains, MO

$291 11.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 20.4% $59

Clothing & Footwear

West Plains, MO

$145 5.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 11.1% $16

Sport & Entertainment

West Plains, MO

$72 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 19.9% $14

Getting Around

West Plains, MO

$19 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 212% $39

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 $1,592 in West Plains, MO and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76.0 in West Plains, MO vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $406 per month, with West Plains, MO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Plains, MO

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

Same time as West Plains, MO

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,184

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 Plains, MO Austin, TX 900 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

West Plains, MO
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 Plains, MO vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

West Plains, MO wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making West Plains, MO the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,667 in West Plains, MO 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: $1,592 in West Plains, MO versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,049 in West Plains, MO 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 Plains, MO – 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 Plains, MO 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.

Safety-wise, West Plains, MO 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 West Plains, MO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.