Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alhambra, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,538 in Alhambra, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Alhambra, CA
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Alhambra, CA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Alhambra, CA and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Alhambra, CA and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,538 in Alhambra, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Alhambra, CA $3,538
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,726 in Alhambra, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Alhambra, CA $4,726
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,913 in Alhambra, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Alhambra, CA $5,913
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Alhambra, CA is roughly 31% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alhambra, CA 161% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.02 $25.02

$20.63 $20.63

21.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$84.6 $84.6

-6.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.02 $15.02

$12.07 $12.07

24.44%

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$5.48 $5.48

6.93%

Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.80 $3.80

-19.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.47 $2.47

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.16 $7.16

$8.05 $8.05

-11.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.81 $9.81

$8.88 $8.88

10.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$1.11 $1.11

26.13%

White Bread (500g)

$5.26 $5.26

$3.72 $3.72

41.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.37 $3.37

37.69%

Eggs

$6.01 $6.01

$4.32 $4.32

39.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$13.13 $13.13

-11.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$14.15 $14.15

-39.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.37 $19.37

$16.33 $16.33

18.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$4.55 $4.55

2.20%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.46 $1.46

56.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.98 $3.98

$4.71 $4.71

-15.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.36 $5.36

$4.15 $4.15

29.16%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.58 $2.58

27.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$2.35 $2.35

34.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.94 $1.94

$1.77 $1.77

9.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.14 $2.14

31.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.86 $11.86

$10.10 $10.10

17.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.93 $14.93

$15.19 $15.19

-1.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.82 $2.82

-13.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.44 $3.44

-20.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.54 $1.54

11.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$110 $110

$40.99 $40.99

167.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.80 $2.80

5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.60 $1.60

13.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.75 $31.75

$34.34 $34.34

-7.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.94 $0.94

57.45%

Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)

$34.8K $34.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

2.53%

Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.55%

Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)

$287 $287

$223 $223

28.72%

SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)

$77.9 $77.9

$58.9 $58.9

32.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$74.2 $74.2

$70.6 $70.6

5.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$19.90 $19.90

$57.7 $57.7

-65.51%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.76 $15.76

$16.53 $16.53

-4.66%

Cinema Ticket

$19.71 $19.71

$14.26 $14.26

38.22%

Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)

$1,174 $1,174

$1,511 $1,511

-22.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

52.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$51.3 $51.3

23.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.29 $47.29

$44.17 $44.17

7.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$87.0 $87.0

20.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,263 $2,263

$1,940 $1,940

16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,945 $1,945

$1,316 $1,316

47.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,947 $2,947

$3,664 $3,664

-19.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,507 $2,507

$2,565 $2,565

-2.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,015 $7,015

$7,354 $7,354

-4.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,888 $5,888

$3,129 $3,129

88.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,895 $4,895

$5,286 $5,286

-7.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.79

-7.07%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 32.3% $629

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 19.7% $87

Groceries & Markets

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 5.6% $24

Eating Out

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.9% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 10.2% $15

Getting Around

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 54.9% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 45.3% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,263 in Alhambra, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Alhambra, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $430 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

14:57 2:57 PM

2 h ahead of Alhambra, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

83,089

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Alhambra, CA Austin, TX 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Alhambra, CA
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated April 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

Alhambra, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alhambra, CA and Austin, TX differ by about 31% in total monthly costs ($3,538 vs $2,698 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,263 in Alhambra, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 6% higher in Alhambra, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Alhambra, CA and Austin, TX are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Alhambra, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.