Cost of Living in Austin, Texas
Rent, everyday costs and taxes in Austin, what each job keeps after paying them, and how the city compares with the rest of the US.
- Population
- 1,002,632
- Median household income
- $90,430
- Cost of living (US = 100)
- 98.1
- Unemployment rate
- 4.3%
Is Austin a good place to live?
Austin is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 155 of the 178 other large US cities we track.
A typical worker in Austin keeps $11,757 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs. Try your job
- Cost of living2% below the US average (BEA, 2024)
- Rent$1,634 a month for a 1-bedroom (HUD)
- TaxesNo state income tax on wages
Cost of living in Austin
Prices in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX area run 2% below the US average. Housing is the biggest difference, at 20% above the US average.
- Housing20% above the US average
- Goods (food, clothing, cars)6% below the US average
- Utilities18% below the US average
- Other services (healthcare and more)4% below the US average
- All items2% below the US average
Monthly budget for one person
| Cost | Monthly | Yearly |
|---|---|---|
| Rent, 1-bedroom | $1,634 | $19,608 |
| Food | $463 | $5,556 |
| Transportation | $366 | $4,392 |
| Healthcare | $339 | $4,068 |
| Utilities | $214 | $2,568 |
| Total before taxes | $3,016 | $36,192 |
Rent by apartment size
| Monthly rent | Austin | Whole metro area |
|---|---|---|
| Studio | $1,546 | $1,447 |
| 1 bedroom | $1,634 | $1,530 |
| 2 bedrooms | $1,940 | $1,817 |
| 3 bedrooms | $2,448 | $2,292 |
| 4 bedrooms | $2,873 | $2,689 |
Living in Austin
How Austin compares with the US on income, housing, work and commuting (Census Bureau, ACS 2024 1-year).
| Measure | Austin | US |
|---|---|---|
| Median household income | $90,430 | $81,604 |
| Median home value | $571,000 | $360,600 |
| Median rent paid | $1,770 | $1,487 |
| Households renting | 58.8% | 34.7% |
| Unemployment rate | 4.3% | 4.6% |
| Living below the poverty line | 11.8% | 12.2% |
| Adults with a bachelor's degree or higher | 60.7% | 36.9% |
| Median age | 34.8 years | 39.2 years |
| Average commute, one way | 24.2 minutes | 27.2 minutes |
| Working from home | 24.8% | 13.3% |
| Commuting by public transit | 3% | 3.7% |
Home internet
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Austin, led by Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile, Google Fiber. Fiber reaches 68.2% of homes and 84% can get gigabit speeds. Compare providers in Austin
Pros and cons of living in Austin
Pros
- Paychecks go further. A typical worker keeps $11,757 a year after taxes, rent and everyday costs, more than in 155 of 178 large cities.
- No state income tax. Texas doesn't tax wages, so more of each paycheck stays with you.
- Shorter commutes. The average one-way commute is 24.2 minutes, against 27.2 nationally.
- Highly educated workforce. 60.7% of adults have a bachelor's degree or higher, against 36.9% nationally.
Cons
- Expensive rent. Median rent is $1,770 a month, against $1,487 nationally.
- Pricey homes to buy. The median home is worth $571,000, against $360,600 nationally.
What your job keeps in Austin
Pick a job, or enter your salary, to see what's left after federal, payroll, state and local taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
- Typical salary
- $56,950
- Federal income tax
- −$4,654
- Payroll taxes
- −$4,357
- State income tax
- $0
- Rent, 1-bedroom
- −$19,608
- Everyday costs
- −$16,574
a year, or $980 a month
Pay: BLS OEWS Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX. Rent: HUD FY2027. Taxes: 2026 federal, state and local schedules for a single filer.
What the most common jobs keep here
The 10 jobs we cover with the most workers in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX area.
| Job | Median pay | You keep |
|---|---|---|
| Lawyer | $153,330 | $79,885 |
| Software engineer | $134,120 | $66,755 |
| Project manager | $102,390 | $44,679 |
| Registered nurse | $97,890 | $41,513 |
| Accountant | $83,120 | $31,123 |
| Teacher | $61,682 | $15,559 |
| Electrician | $60,390 | $14,521 |
| Truck driver | $57,110 | $11,886 |
| Medical assistant | $45,820 | $2,815 |
| Nursing assistant | $38,550 | −$3,027 |
Other jobs, A–Z
What each keeps in Austin on its median pay. Pick one in the calculator above for the full breakdown.
- Auto mechanic $6,663
- Carpenter $6,382
- Civil engineer $43,329
- Data scientist $62,135
- Dental assistant $4,968
- Dental hygienist $46,853
- Dentist $103,940
- Diesel mechanic $15,068
- Financial analyst $44,074
- Firefighter $13,268
- HVAC technician $14,867
- Licensed practical nurse $17,888
- Lineman $30,420
- Mechanical engineer $47,704
- Nurse practitioner $62,606
- Occupational therapist $58,505
- Paralegal $17,534
- Paramedic $19,986
- Pharmacist $78,490
- Pharmacy technician $3,771
- Physical therapist $45,551
- Physician assistant $67,049
- Plumber $16,466
- Police officer $30,539
- Radiologic technologist $31,651
- Respiratory therapist $30,870
- Social worker $14,972
- Speech-language pathologist $47,423
- Veterinarian $66,160
- Welder $13,436
Compare Austin with other cities
Compare Austin with another city: any city or state, any of our 40 jobs.
Moving to Austin
35 licensed interstate movers are based in Austin, and 17 more elsewhere in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX area (FMCSA, household-goods authority).
Questions people ask
Is Austin, TX a good place to live?
Austin is a good place to live if you want your pay to go further: a typical worker keeps more here than in 155 of the 178 other large US cities we track. The typical worker here earns $56,950 and keeps $11,757 a year after federal, payroll and state taxes, a 1-bedroom rent and everyday costs.
What is the cost of living in Austin?
Prices in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX area are 2% below the US average (BEA Regional Price Parities, 2024). A 1-bedroom rents for $1,634 a month (HUD fair market rent, FY2027), and everyday costs for one person, covering food, transportation, healthcare and utilities, come to about $1,381 a month.
How much do you need to earn to live in Austin?
A single person renting a 1-bedroom alone needs about $42,400 a year before tax to cover taxes, rent and everyday costs, with nothing left over. The typical worker in the Austin-Round Rock-San Marcos, TX area earns $56,950.
What is the average rent in Austin?
HUD's fair market rent for FY2027 is $1,546 for a studio, $1,634 for a 1-bedroom and $1,940 for a 2-bedroom. The Census Bureau puts the median rent paid in Austin at $1,770 a month (2024).
Does Austin have a state or city income tax?
Texas has no state income tax on wages. Austin has no local income tax on wages.
What internet providers serve Austin?
5 providers offer home internet to at least a quarter of Austin, led by Spectrum, Verizon, T-Mobile, Google Fiber. 68.2% of homes can get fiber and 84% can get gigabit speeds (FCC National Broadband Map).
Sources and method
Everyday costs: BLS Consumer Expenditure Survey 2024 (one-person households) × CPI-U to August 2026 × BEA Regional Price Parities 2024. Taxes assume a single filer with the standard deduction and wage income only.
- Census Bureau, Vintage 2025 population estimates
- Census Bureau, American Community Survey 2024 1-year estimates
- BLS OEWS May 2025, metropolitan area estimates
- HUD Small Area Fair Market Rents, FY2027
- BLS Consumer Expenditure Surveys 2024, Table 1400 (size of consumer unit)
- BLS Consumer Price Index (CPI-U)
- BEA Regional Price Parities by MSA, 2024
- FCC National Broadband Map, fixed broadband availability (data as of December 31, 2025, released 2026-09-29)
- FMCSA Carrier - All With History (operating authority and insurance)
Data compiled October 13, 2026. How we calculate