Last update: Oct 2026

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

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.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Aliso Viejo, CA
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Aliso Viejo, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Aliso Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,964

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 32% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$24.73 $24.73

-16.58%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$98.4 $98.4

-14.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.32 $14.32

-15.71%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.91 $5.91

-7.28%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.51 $3.51

8.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.80 $2.80

-11.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.22 $8.22

-2.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.94 $9.94

-10.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.15 $1.15

-3.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.77 $4.77

-22.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.72 $4.72

-28.60%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.08 $5.08

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.33 $11.33

15.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$16.09 $16.09

-12.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.67 $17.67

-7.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.50 $5.50

-17.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.73 $1.73

-15.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.68 $4.68

0.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.62 $6.62

-37.31%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.61 $3.61

-28.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.81 $2.81

-16.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.20 $2.20

-19.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.43 $2.43

-11.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.92 $11.92

-15.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.26 $15.26

-0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.81 $1.81

55.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.11 $3.11

10.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.07 $3.07

-49.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.47 $4.47

-37.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.91 $1.91

-16.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.04 $32.04

7.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.59 $1.59

-40.88%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$35.0K $35.0K

-2.89%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.93%

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

$223 $223

$212 $212

5.11%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$71.5 $71.5

-17.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.3 $71.3

-0.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$38.84 $38.84

48.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$17.19 $17.19

-17.04%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,698 $1,698

-11.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$31.8K $31.8K

-34.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$72.5 $72.5

-29.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$65.1 $65.1

-32.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$116 $116

-25.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$169 $169

-38.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,908 $2,908

-33.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,466 $2,466

-46.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,191 $4,191

-12.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$4,644 $4,644

-44.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$7,007 $7,007

4.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$6,500 $6,500

-51.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$7,985 $7,985

-33.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.86

-1.02%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

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

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$2.5K 62.2% 87.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$456 11.5% 12.3% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$355 8.9% 0.7% $2.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$398 10% 13.7% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$190 4.8% 47.5% $61

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$73 1.9% 15.1% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Aliso Viejo, CA

$26 * 0.7% 54.6% $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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA. 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $98.0 in Aliso Viejo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $456 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Aliso Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

05:20 5:20 AM

03:20 3:20 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

41,489

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

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

On paper, salaries run 51% lower in Aliso Viejo, CA. 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,908 in Aliso Viejo, CA. 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 $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,964 in Aliso Viejo, CA – 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, Austin, TX and Aliso Viejo, 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 47% less than in Aliso Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.