Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Bakersfield, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Bakersfield, CA
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Bakersfield, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Bakersfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,855

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,855 in Bakersfield, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Bakersfield, CA $2,855

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,902 in Bakersfield, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Bakersfield, CA $3,902

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,949 in Bakersfield, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Bakersfield, CA $4,949

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Bakersfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Bakersfield, CA 110% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.64 $18.64

9.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$64.8 $64.8

30.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$14.10 $14.10

-14.04%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.74 $5.74

-1.57%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.73 $2.73

34.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.01 $2.01

17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.90 $5.90

33.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.81 $5.81

51.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.09 $1.09

4.59%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.16 $4.16

-11.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.07 $5.07

-34.71%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.29 $3.29

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.75 $12.75

1.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.34 $13.34

3.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.93 $15.93

2.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.16 $4.16

12.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.04 $2.04

-28.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.95 $3.95

29.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.79 $3.79

19.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.14 $2.14

43.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.42 $2.42

-1.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.12 $2.12

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.48 $2.48

-10.48%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.59 $11.59

-13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.80 $17.80

-15.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.97 $1.97

47.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.79 $4.79

-30.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.62 $1.62

-24.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$58.1 $58.1

-30.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.03 $3.03

-8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.07 $2.07

-20.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.52 $1.52

-37.50%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.37%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.42%

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

$223 $223

$390 $390

-42.88%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.4 $59.4

-1.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$74.9 $74.9

-4.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.71 $32.71

62.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$24.81 $24.81

-32.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$15.11 $15.11

-6.95%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,501 $1,501

-2.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$59.9 $59.9

-12.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$47.66 $47.66

-10.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$98.9 $98.9

-12.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-13.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,536 $1,536

37.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,311 $1,311

-6.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,828 $1,828

111.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,834 $1,834

31.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,742 $2,742

170.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,430 $2,430

25.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,743 $3,743

38.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.43

6.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Bakersfield, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Bakersfield, CA

$1.3K 45.9% 6.5% $80

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Bakersfield, CA

$411 14.4% 0.3% $1.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Bakersfield, CA

$525 18.4% 48.8% $172

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Bakersfield, CA

$320 11.2% 8% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Bakersfield, CA

$147 5.2% 14.5% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Bakersfield, CA

$63 2.2% 22.5% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Bakersfield, CA

$78 2.7% 38.1% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 38% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $65 in Bakersfield, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $411, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Bakersfield, CA

🕒 Local time

17:06 5:06 PM

15:06 3:06 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

373,640

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Bakersfield, CA 2,060 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Bakersfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 38% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,536 in Bakersfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,501 in Bakersfield, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Bakersfield, CA – a meal for two runs $65 versus $85 in Austin, TX. 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.