Austin vs Houston - Cost of Living Comparison

Updated:

Livingcost

Austin Houston
🚶 Cost of living one person
$2416
$2240
👨‍👩‍👧‍👦 Cost of living Family
$5487
$5311
🏠 One person rent
$1511
$1275
🏘️ Family rent
$2463
$2042
🍽️ Food expenses
$601
$591
🚐 Transport expenses
$126
$199
💳 Monthly salary after tax
$4904
$4580
😷 Air quality
Excellent
Excellent
✈️ Airport proximity
13 km
16 km
🎓 Higher education
66
100
😀 Quality of life
92
93
🏙️ Population
962K
2.3M

The cost of living in Austin is 8% more expensive than in Houston. Cities ranked 1002nd and 1375th ($2416 vs $2240) in the list of the most expensive cities in the world and ranked 879th and 1186th in the United States.

The average after-tax salary is enough to cover living expenses for 2 months in Austin compared to 2 months in Houston. Ranked 44th vs 15th best cities to live in the United States, and 151st vs 77th among the best cities to live in the world.

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the estimated difference in money purchasing power

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
$19.1
$18.5
🥂 Dinner in a Restaurant, for 2
$70
$72
🥪 Fast food meal, equiv. McDonald's
$11.3
$10.4
🍻 Beer in a Pub, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$6.73
$6.31
 Cappuccino
$5.77
$5.42
🥤 Pepsi / Coke, 0.5 L or 16.9 fl oz
$2.79
$2.76
Rent & Utilities
🏙️ 1 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1903
$1397
🏡 Cheap 1 bedroom apartment, 40 m2 or 430 ft2
$1193
$997
🏙️ 3 bedroom apartment in Downtown, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$3088
$2394
🏡 Cheap 3 bedroom apartment, 80 m2 or 860 ft2
$2013
$1614
🔌 Utility Bill one person, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$109
$133
🔌 Utility Bill for a Family, electricity, heating, water, etc.
$168
$207
🌐 Internet plan, 50 Mbps+ 1 month unlimited
$66.9
$65.4
🏦 Mortgage Interest Rate for 20 Years
6.54%
6.45%
🏙️ Apartment price to Buy in city Center, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$4361
$2608
🏡 House price to Buy in Suburbs, 1 m2 or 10 ft2
$3258
$1961
Transportation
🚌 Local transport ticket
$2.41
$1.24
🎟️ Monthly ticket local transport
$41.9
$71
🚕 Taxi Ride, 8 km or 5 mi
$19.3
$21.5
 Gas / Petrol, 1 L or 0.26 gal
$0.74
$0.75
Groceries
🥛 Milk, 1 L or 1 qt
$0.98
$0.93
🍞 Bread, 0.5 kg or 1.1 lb
$2.9
$3.1
🍚 Rice, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.85
$3.58
🥚 Eggs, x12
$5.21
$4.7
🧀 Cheese, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.9
$11.5
🐔 Chicken Breast, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$12.2
$11.6
🥩 Round Steak, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$15.4
$17.1
🍏 Apples, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.18
$3.77
🍌 Banana, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$1.57
$1.51
🍊 Oranges, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$4.46
$3.58
🍅 Tomato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$3.8
$2.71
🥔 Potato, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.3
$2.4
🧅 Onion, 1 kg or 2.2 lb
$2.73
$2.44
🌊 Water, 1 L or 1 qt
$1.42
$1.42
🍹 Coca-Cola / Pepsi, 2 L or 67.6 fl oz
$2.9
$3.3
🍾 Wine (mid-priced), 750 mL bottle
$15.3
$14.4
🍺 Beer, 0.5 L or 16 fl oz
$2.86
$3.01
🚬 Cigarette pack
$9.24
$9.68
💊 Cold medicince, 1 week
$6.78
$9.36
🧴 Hair Shampoo
$5.95
$7.92
🧻 Toilet paper, 4 rolls
$4.19
$3.88
👄 Toothpaste, 1 tube
$2.2
$2.19
Other
🏋️ Gym Membership, 1 month
$62.2
$41.6
🎫 Cinema Ticket, 1 person
$14.6
$15
👩‍⚕️ Doctor's visit
$129
$141
💇 Haircut, simple
$25.8
$22.5
👖 Brand Jeans
$56.5
$46
👟 Brand Sneakers
$95.3
$98.4
👶 Daycare or Preschool, 1 month
$1317
$1504
🏫 International Primary School, 1 year
$21266
$23708

Cost of living in other countries

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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
$2196
25 km or 15 mi Round Rock
$2148
25 km or 15 mi Cedar Park
$2221
31 km or 20 mi Leander
$2241
37 km or 23 mi Kyle
$2222
39 km or 24 mi Georgetown
$2188
51 km or 32 mi San Marcos
$2215
76 km or 47 mi New Braunfels
$2233
84 km or 52 mi Seguin
$2210
86 km or 53 mi Harker Heights
$2075
90 km or 56 mi Killeen
$2022
93 km or 58 mi Copperas Cove
$2105
95 km or 59 mi Cibolo
$2178
96 km or 60 mi Schertz
$2164
96 km or 60 mi Temple
$2136
122 km or 76 mi San Antonio
$2023
137 km or 85 mi Bryan
$1993
138 km or 86 mi Kerrville
$2169
140 km or 87 mi College Station
$1900
150 km or 93 mi Waco
$2279
180 km or 112 mi Victoria
$2220
204 km or 126 mi Rosenberg
$2209
214 km or 133 mi Huntsville
$2020
215 km or 133 mi The Woodlands
$2730
218 km or 136 mi Stephenville
$2154
218 km or 136 mi Conroe
$1828
219 km or 136 mi Sugar Land
$2229
226 km or 140 mi Missouri
$2216
227 km or 141 mi Spring
$2094
230 km or 143 mi Cleburne
$2185
233 km or 145 mi Corsicana
$2186
234 km or 145 mi Houston
$2240
248 km or 154 mi Waxahachie
$2187
249 km or 155 mi Pearland
$2177
252 km or 156 mi Burleson
$2184
252 km or 157 mi Midlothian
$2190
256 km or 159 mi Pasadena
$2240
258 km or 160 mi Alvin
$2095
260 km or 161 mi Friendswood
$2155
260 km or 161 mi Mansfield
$2302

Cities near Houston

Distance City Cost of living
22 km or 14 mi Pasadena
$2240
25 km or 15 mi Pearland
$2177
25 km or 16 mi Missouri
$2216
27 km or 17 mi Deer Park
$2260
29 km or 18 mi Sugar Land
$2229
32 km or 20 mi Spring
$2094
33 km or 21 mi Friendswood
$2155
35 km or 22 mi La Porte
$2308
40 km or 25 mi Baytown
$2376
41 km or 25 mi League
$2110
42 km or 26 mi Alvin
$2095
47 km or 29 mi Rosenberg
$2209
48 km or 30 mi The Woodlands
$2730
59 km or 37 mi Texas City
$2067
62 km or 38 mi Conroe
$1828
76 km or 47 mi Galveston
$1948
81 km or 50 mi Lake Jackson
$2129
108 km or 67 mi Huntsville
$2020
126 km or 78 mi Beaumont
$1592
129 km or 80 mi College Station
$1900
138 km or 86 mi Bryan
$1993
140 km or 87 mi Port Arthur
$1881
186 km or 115 mi Lufkin
$1883
188 km or 117 mi Victoria
$2220
203 km or 126 mi Sulphur
$2029
215 km or 134 mi Lake Charles
$1975
217 km or 135 mi Nacogdoches
$1493
229 km or 142 mi Pflugerville
$2196
234 km or 145 mi Austin
$2416
236 km or 146 mi Round Rock
$2148
239 km or 149 mi Temple
$2136
242 km or 150 mi Kyle
$2222
242 km or 150 mi Georgetown
$2188
247 km or 153 mi San Marcos
$2215
249 km or 155 mi Cedar Park
$2221
250 km or 156 mi Seguin
$2210
254 km or 158 mi Leander
$2241
261 km or 162 mi Waco
$2279
262 km or 163 mi Harker Heights
$2075
264 km or 164 mi New Braunfels
$2233