Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aliso Viejo, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
Learn more

Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aliso Viejo, 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 Aliso Viejo, CA and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Aliso Viejo, CA $3,964
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,003 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Aliso Viejo, CA $6,003
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,043 in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Aliso Viejo, CA $8,043
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Aliso Viejo, CA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Aliso Viejo, CA 193% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.73 $24.73

$20.63 $20.63

19.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.4 $98.4

$84.6 $84.6

16.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.32 $14.32

$12.07 $12.07

18.64%

Cappuccino

$5.91 $5.91

$5.48 $5.48

7.85%

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

$3.51 $3.51

$3.80 $3.80

-7.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.47 $2.47

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.22 $8.22

$8.05 $8.05

2.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.94 $9.94

$8.88 $8.88

11.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.11 $1.11

3.60%

White Bread (500g)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.72 $3.72

28.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.37 $3.37

40.06%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$4.32 $4.32

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.33 $11.33

$13.13 $13.13

-13.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.09 $16.09

$14.15 $14.15

13.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.67 $17.67

$16.33 $16.33

8.21%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$4.55 $4.55

20.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.46 $1.46

18.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$4.71 $4.71

-0.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.62 $6.62

$4.15 $4.15

59.52%

Potato (1kg)

$3.61 $3.61

$2.58 $2.58

39.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.35 $2.35

19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.77 $1.77

24.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.14 $2.14

13.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$10.10 $10.10

18.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$15.19 $15.19

0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.82 $2.82

-35.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$3.44 $3.44

-9.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.07 $3.07

$1.54 $1.54

99.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.80 $2.80

59.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.60 $1.60

19.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 $32.04

$34.34 $34.34

-6.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.94 $0.94

69.15%

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

$35.0K $35.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

2.97%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

0.94%

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

$212 $212

$223 $223

-4.86%

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

$71.5 $71.5

$58.9 $58.9

21.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$70.6 $70.6

0.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.84 $38.84

$57.7 $57.7

-32.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$17.19 $17.19

$14.26 $14.26

20.55%

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

$1,698 $1,698

$1,511 $1,511

12.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.8K $31.8K

$20.9K $20.9K

52.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.5 $72.5

$51.3 $51.3

41.47%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.1 $65.1

$44.17 $44.17

47.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$116 $116

$87.0 $87.0

33.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$104 $104

62.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,908 $2,908

$1,940 $1,940

49.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,466 $2,466

$1,316 $1,316

87.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,191 $4,191

$3,664 $3,664

14.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,644 $4,644

$2,565 $2,565

81.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,007 $7,007

$7,354 $7,354

-4.72%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,500 $6,500

$3,129 $3,129

107.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,985 $7,985

$5,286 $5,286

51.04%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.79

1.03%

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

Last update for Aliso Viejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 46.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 10.9% $50

Eating Out

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 12% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 0.7% $2.5

Clothing & Footwear

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 32.2% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17.8% $13

Getting Around

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 120% $32

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Aliso Viejo, CA pays 51% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $456 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:11 1:11 AM

03:11 3:11 AM

2 h ahead of Aliso Viejo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

41,489

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Aliso Viejo, CA Austin, TX 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Aliso Viejo, 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

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

Aliso Viejo, CA and Austin, TX differ by about 47% in total monthly costs ($3,964 vs $2,698 including rent). Austin, TX is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 51% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, 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 12% higher in Aliso Viejo, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $3,964 per month in Aliso Viejo, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

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, Aliso Viejo, 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 47% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.