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Austin vs New York cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Austin
๐บ๐ธ New York
At a glance
- Where New York is clearly cheaper: Street food (23%โ)
- Where Austin is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (61%โ), Transit (58%โ), Scooter rental (49%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: getting around โ Austin 3 vs New York 2. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Austin | New York | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 20$20 | similar |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | $ 10$10 | New York โ23% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 55$55 | Austin โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 6$6 | similar |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7$7 | $ 9$9 | Austin โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | $ 19$19 | Austin โ21% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2$2 | similar |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 3$3 | Austin โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | $ 23$23 | Austin โ35% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | $ 14$14 | Austin โ36% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 3$3 | Austin โ58% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 68$68 | Austin โ49% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 150$150 | $ 270$270 | Austin โ44% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,300$1,300 | $ 3,300$3,300 | Austin โ61% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | $ 4.5$4.5 | New York โ10% |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 30$30 | similar |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | $ 42$42 | Austin โ21% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | $ 100$100 | Austin โ10% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 65$65 | $ 80$80 | Austin โ19% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 18$18 | $ 30$30 | Austin โ40% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Austin or New York?
Austin is 41% cheaper than New York. Daily budget $310 vs $467; a month $5,431 vs $10,297.
Which is easier to travel, Austin or New York?
About the same: Austin 1.8/5, New York 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Austin and New York?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Austin is about $5,431 and New York about $10,297 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.