I lived in Austin for 6 years and loved it, but moving to New York City made me realize Texas isn’t for me

For a studio apartment in Austin in 2016, I paid $850 a month in rent.

I paid the same price for my first apartment in NYC in 2019 — except I lived in a three-bedroom, one-bathroom apartment shared with strangers.

Since moving to New York, I’ve lived in six apartments, ranging from $1,650 to $3,000 monthly for one-bedroom units.

According to Zillow, the average rent in Austin is $1,900, while in NYC it’s $3,606.

Nowadays, I share a $3,000-a-month, one-bedroom apartment with my partner in Brooklyn.