Austin vs Houston - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Austin Houston
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2473
$2248
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$5974
$5589
🏠 One person rent
$1613
$1325
🏘️ Family rent
$3016
$2490
🍽️ Food expenses
$556
$564
🚐 Transport expenses
$126
$201
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$5652
$4672
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Good
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
66
100
😀 Quality of life
91
92
🏙️ Population
962K
2.3M

The cost of living in Austin is 10% more expensive than in Houston. Cities ranked 812th and 1258th ($2473 vs $2248) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 724th and 1108th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2.3 months in Austin compared to 2.1 months in Houston. Ranked 20th vs 13th best cities to live in the United States, and 116th vs 82nd among the best cities to live in the world.

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Cost of living in Austin vs Houston infographic

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Prices in Austin vs Houston

Prices for goods and services in Austin and Houston are partly crowdsourced by our visitors, just like yourself. Please consider telling us about your city.

Austin Houston
Eating Out
🍱 Lunch Menu
$16.8
$16.2
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$68.3
$66.3
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$9.91
$9.71
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.3
$5.52
 Cappuccino
$5.5
$5.31
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.61
$2.49
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1954
$1392
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1307
$1059
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$4136
$2964
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2445
$2036
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$108
$132
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$166
$200
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$68
$68
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.63%
6.66%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4709
$2925
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$2939
$2076
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$1.5
$1.25
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$45.6
$71.1
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$19.4
$21.7
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.81
$0.79
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.03
$0.92
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.94
$3.07
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.46
$3.33
🥚 Eggs, x12
$3.29
$3.95
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.2
$12.7
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$11
$11.3
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$13.7
$16.9
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.42
$4.51
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.48
$1.3
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.21
$3.69
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.45
$3.02
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.36
$2.71
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.72
$2.43
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.36
$1.46
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.87
$3.15
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.1
$14.9
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.34
$2.02
🚬 Cigarette pack
$8.91
$8.66
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.05
$9.31
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.37
$5.09
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$3.98
$3.86
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$1.5
$2.26
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$50.8
$37.9
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14
$14.7
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$145
$110
💇 Haircut, simple
$20.8
$19.9
👖 Brand Jeans
$64
$49.2
👟 Brand Sneakers
$94.1
$103
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1453
$1368
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$21741
$22908

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Cost of Living in the nearest cities

Cities near Austin

Distance City Cost of living
19 km or 12 mi Pflugerville
$2211
25 km or 15 mi Round Rock
$2145
25 km or 15 mi Cedar Park
$2232
31 km or 20 mi Leander
$2250
37 km or 23 mi Kyle
$2223
39 km or 24 mi Georgetown
$2194
51 km or 32 mi San Marcos
$2226
76 km or 47 mi New Braunfels
$2156
84 km or 52 mi Seguin
$2177
86 km or 53 mi Harker Heights
$2075
90 km or 56 mi Killeen
$2006
93 km or 58 mi Copperas Cove
$2097
95 km or 59 mi Cibolo
$2172
96 km or 60 mi Schertz
$2155
96 km or 60 mi Temple
$2186
122 km or 76 mi San Antonio
$2194
137 km or 85 mi Bryan
$1890
138 km or 86 mi Kerrville
$2071
140 km or 87 mi College Station
$1764
150 km or 93 mi Waco
$2223
180 km or 112 mi Victoria
$2231
204 km or 126 mi Rosenberg
$2151
214 km or 133 mi Huntsville
$2129
215 km or 133 mi The Woodlands
$2692
218 km or 136 mi Stephenville
$2137
218 km or 136 mi Conroe
$1798
219 km or 136 mi Sugar Land
$2164
226 km or 140 mi Missouri
$2143
227 km or 141 mi Spring
$2093
230 km or 143 mi Cleburne
$2145
233 km or 145 mi Corsicana
$2156
234 km or 145 mi Houston
$2248
248 km or 154 mi Waxahachie
$2173
249 km or 155 mi Pearland
$2080
252 km or 156 mi Burleson
$2158
252 km or 157 mi Midlothian
$2189
256 km or 159 mi Pasadena
$2101
258 km or 160 mi Alvin
$2003
260 km or 161 mi Friendswood
$2035
260 km or 161 mi Mansfield
$2299

Cities near Houston

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Pasadena
$2101
25 km or 15 mi Pearland
$2080
25 km or 16 mi Missouri
$2143
27 km or 17 mi Deer Park
$2089
29 km or 18 mi Sugar Land
$2164
32 km or 20 mi Spring
$2093
33 km or 21 mi Friendswood
$2035
35 km or 22 mi La Porte
$2074
40 km or 25 mi Baytown
$2084
41 km or 25 mi League
$1983
42 km or 26 mi Alvin
$2003
47 km or 29 mi Rosenberg
$2151
48 km or 30 mi The Woodlands
$2692
59 km or 37 mi Texas City
$1971
62 km or 38 mi Conroe
$1798
76 km or 47 mi Galveston
$1844
81 km or 50 mi Lake Jackson
$2063
108 km or 67 mi Huntsville
$2129
126 km or 78 mi Beaumont
$1653
129 km or 80 mi College Station
$1764
138 km or 86 mi Bryan
$1890
140 km or 87 mi Port Arthur
$1865
186 km or 115 mi Lufkin
$1838
188 km or 117 mi Victoria
$2231
203 km or 126 mi Sulphur
$2004
215 km or 134 mi Lake Charles
$1960
217 km or 135 mi Nacogdoches
$1468
229 km or 142 mi Pflugerville
$2211
234 km or 145 mi Austin
$2473
236 km or 146 mi Round Rock
$2145
239 km or 149 mi Temple
$2186
242 km or 150 mi Kyle
$2223
242 km or 150 mi Georgetown
$2194
247 km or 153 mi San Marcos
$2226
249 km or 155 mi Cedar Park
$2232
250 km or 156 mi Seguin
$2177
254 km or 158 mi Leander
$2250
261 km or 162 mi Waco
$2223
262 km or 163 mi Harker Heights
$2075
264 km or 164 mi New Braunfels
$2156