Congrats on landing an internship in Austin! Once the offer letter comes in, the next question is where you’ll live, and it’s trickier than it sounds. Most apartments in Austin want a 12-month lease, short-term rentals get expensive over a few months, and furnishing a place for one internship doesn’t make much sense.
Don’t wait too long. From our experience, the best time to start looking is 1 to 2 months before your start date. A couple of weeks out is cutting it close, and with less than a week you’ll have far fewer options. Below are your options, how long Austin internships usually run, and a calculator to see what you’ll actually save.
How long are internships in Austin?
Internships and co-ops can start any time of year. Most internships at Austin’s big employers run 10 to 12 weeks, and co-ops often run 4 to 8 months:
| Compare | Typical length |
|---|---|
| Cloudflare | About 12 weeks |
| Tesla | Minimum of 12 weeks for most internships |
| Samsung Austin Semiconductor | 11 weeks (college), 10 weeks (fab internship) |
| Applied Materials | 8 to 12 weeks for internships; co-ops 6 to 8 months |
From each company’s careers pages and postings. Programs change, so check your offer letter.
A 3-month lease covers about 13 weeks, so it fits most internships with room to settle in, and co-ops can sign for longer. If your internship is shorter, reach out and we’ll see what we can do.
How much will I save on my internship?
Use this calculator to see what’s left after rent, food, and getting around. It starts with typical numbers, so change anything to match your offer.
Internship budget calculator
Change any number to match your offer. Results update as you type.
- Pay before taxes
- $4,047/mo
- Take-home pay
- $3,440/mo
- Monthly costs
- $1,715/mo
Left over each month
$1,725
Saved over your 12-week internship
$4,778
Estimates only. Taxes depend on your situation; Texas has no state income tax. Default pay is NACE’s average hourly wage for bachelor’s-level interns ($23.35, March 2026). Default rent is the typical price of our rooms; utilities are the middle of our $100–$150 per-room range. Food is USDA’s moderate plan for one adult (August 2026, adjusted for a 1-person household). Transportation assumes about 550 miles a month at Austin’s $3.78 average gas price (AAA, October 2026); a CapMetro monthly pass is $41.25. Taxes withheld is a rough estimate including 7.65% Social Security and Medicare.
Where do interns live in Austin?
Interns usually end up in one of a few places:
- A room in a shared home. You pay for your own room plus a share of utilities, the common areas are furnished, and you have built-in housemates in a city where you might not know anyone. This is what we offer.
- A sublet or furnished apartment. You get your own place, but sublets are hit or miss, and Austin’s average one-bedroom apartment rents for about $1,427 a month (RentCafe, September 2026), usually on a 12-month lease.
- University housing. UT Austin’s summer housing is only for current UT students, so it isn’t an option if you go to school somewhere else.
- A short-term rental. Easy to book, but paying nightly rates for a whole internship adds up quickly.
For the full math on rooms vs apartments, see Renting a Room vs an Apartment in Austin.
Which of our homes is near my internship?
If you already know your office or site, our guides show door-to-door drive times from each home:
- Tesla Giga Texas: Rooms for Rent Near Tesla Giga Texas
- Applied Materials: Rooms for Rent Near Applied Materials
- Samsung (Austin): Rooms for Rent Near Samsung Austin Semiconductor
- Samsung (Taylor): Rooms for Rent Near Samsung Taylor
Does my company give a housing stipend?
Some do. Cloudflare, for example, says it gives interns who relocate a stipend for travel and housing. Check your offer letter. If you get one, a room in a shared home can leave a good chunk of it unspent, and you can add it to the calculator above to see your total.
Do I need a car?
Probably. Our homes are in neighborhoods outside central Austin, and most interns there drive to work. Austin’s CapMetro buses cost $1.25 a ride or $41.25 for a monthly pass, and UT students get a discount with their UT ID, but service near large job sites like Tesla and Samsung is limited. If you won’t have a car, tell us where you’ll be working and we’ll be honest about whether a home works for you.
Which rooms are open right now?
Caballo Blanco — Unit B
Private room with private bath
Available October 2026
Chapala — Unit B
Furnished private room with private bath
Available October 2026
Chapala — Unit C
Furnished private room with private bath
Available October 2026
Chapala — Unit E
Furnished private room with shared bath
Available October 2026
Mary Lewis — Unit D
Private room with shared bath
Available October 2026
How do I rent a room for my internship?
- Fill out the interest form with your company, start date, and end date.
- We’ll set up a short intro call and a virtual tour if you’re still out of state.
- Complete the application and background check.
- Sign the lease and pay the deposit and first month’s rent to reserve the room.
Frequently asked questions
When should I start looking for intern housing in Austin?
In our experience, 1 to 2 months before your start date. A couple of weeks out is cutting it close, and with less than a week you’ll have far fewer options.
Can I rent a room for just an internship or co-op?
Yes. Our minimum lease is 3 months, which covers a typical 12-week internship, and co-ops can sign for longer. If yours is shorter, reach out and we’ll see what we can do.
Can I stay in UT Austin dorms for a summer internship?
UT Austin’s summer housing is for current UT students, so interns from other schools usually need to find housing elsewhere.
Do I pay state income tax in Texas?
No. Texas has no personal income tax, though federal taxes and Social Security and Medicare still apply.
Are the rooms furnished?
Common areas are furnished in every home, and bedrooms are furnished in some homes. Each room’s page says whether it is.