Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
171

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Alhambra, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,538

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 24% less than in Alhambra, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$25.02 $25.02

-17.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.7 $78.7

7.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$15.02 $15.02

-19.64%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.86 $5.86

-6.48%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.06 $3.06

24.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.40 $2.40

2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.16 $7.16

12.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.81 $9.81

-9.48%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.40 $1.40

-20.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.26 $5.26

-29.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.64 $4.64

-27.37%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$6.01 $6.01

-28.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.61 $11.61

13.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.59 $8.59

64.73%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.37 $19.37

-15.69%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.65 $4.65

-2.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.28 $2.28

-35.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.98 $3.98

18.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.36 $5.36

-22.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.28 $3.28

-21.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.17 $3.17

-25.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.94 $1.94

-8.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.81 $2.81

-23.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.86 $11.86

-14.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.93 $14.93

1.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.44 $2.44

15.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.72 $2.72

26.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.71 $1.71

-9.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$110 $110

-62.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.94 $2.94

-4.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.81 $1.81

-11.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.75 $31.75

8.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.48 $1.48

-36.49%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$34.8K $34.8K

-2.47%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.62%

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

$223 $223

$287 $287

-22.31%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$77.9 $77.9

-24.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$74.2 $74.2

-4.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$19.90 $19.90

189.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$15.76 $15.76

4.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$19.71 $19.71

-27.65%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,174 $1,174

28.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-34.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$63.2 $63.2

-18.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$47.29 $47.29

-6.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$104 $104

-16.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

0.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,263 $2,263

-14.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,945 $1,945

-32.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,947 $2,947

24.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,507 $2,507

2.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$7,015 $7,015

4.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$5,888 $5,888

-46.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,895 $4,895

8.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.31

7.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alhambra, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Alhambra, CA

$1.9K 55% 47.8% $629

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Alhambra, CA

$430 12.2% 5.9% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Alhambra, CA

$439 12.4% 24.6% $87

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Alhambra, CA

$393 11.1% 12.2% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Alhambra, CA

$144 4.1% 11.3% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alhambra, CA

$59 1.7% 31.2% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Alhambra, CA

$128 3.6% 122% $71

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $79.0 in Alhambra, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $430, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Alhambra, CA

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

83,089

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Alhambra, CA

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

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

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

Average pay runs 8% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,263 in Alhambra, CA. 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, Austin, TX and Alhambra, CA 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.