Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Apple Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Apple Valley, CA: $1,246 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Apple Valley, CA
Learn more

Apple Valley, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Apple Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,246

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,246 in Apple Valley, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Apple Valley, CA $1,246

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $1,911 in Apple Valley, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Apple Valley, CA $1,911

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $2,576 in Apple Valley, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Apple Valley, CA $2,576

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 109% more expensive than in Apple Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, Apple Valley, CA is 8% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$19.70 $19.70

3.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$47.93 $47.93

76.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.84 $9.84

23.17%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.91 $4.91

15.07%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.52 $2.52

46.03%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.58 $1.58

49.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.13 $5.13

53.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.81 $5.81

51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.90 $0.90

26.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.79 $3.79

-2.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.92 $2.92

13.36%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$2.02 $2.02

105.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$14.13 $14.13

-8.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.58 $13.58

2.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.60 $12.60

29.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.82 $4.82

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.18 $2.18

-33.49%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.52 $4.52

13.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.06 $5.06

-10.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.43 $4.43

-30.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.16 $4.16

-42.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.16 $2.16

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.93 $10.93

-8.78%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.36 $13.36

12.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.64 $1.64

77.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.66 $2.66

25.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.36 $3.36

-17.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.84 $1.84

-10.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.64 $23.64

49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 $1.36

-30.15%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.6K $30.6K

11.76%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.60%

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

$223 $223

$245 $245

-9.01%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$82.5 $82.5

-29.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$65.3 $65.3

8.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.85 $11.85

18.65%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$545 $545

167.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$8,433 $8,433

153.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$31.36 $31.36

67.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.11 $35.11

21.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$71.5 $71.5

20.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$139 $139

-25.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,200 $5,200

-0.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

2.25

203.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Apple Valley, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Apple Valley, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Apple Valley, CA

$392 31.5% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Apple Valley, CA

$393 31.5% 11.4% $40

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Apple Valley, CA

$300 24.1% 13.9% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Apple Valley, CA

$125 10% 3.1% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Apple Valley, CA

$24 * 1.9% 70.8% $57

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Apple Valley, CA

$13 * 1% 77.8% $44

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $48 in Apple Valley, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $392 per month, with Apple Valley, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Apple Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

20:02 8:02 PM

18:02 6:02 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

50,109

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Apple Valley, CA 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Apple Valley, 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 Apple Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Apple Valley, CA is about 52% cheaper overall, especially in leisure, eating out, and transport. That difference adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $1,869 in Apple Valley, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $545 in Apple Valley, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Apple Valley, CA – a meal for two runs $48 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,246 in Apple Valley, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Apple Valley, CA but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Apple Valley, CA the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.