Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,707 in Burbank, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,100 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
178

Cost of Living Index in Burbank, CA
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Burbank, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Burbank, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,707

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,707 in Burbank, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Burbank, CA $3,707

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,570 in Burbank, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Burbank, CA $3,570

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,432 in Burbank, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Burbank, CA $3,432

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 27% less than in Burbank, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Burbank, CA 174% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$24.79 $24.79

-16.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$76.9 $76.9

9.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.71 $14.71

-17.95%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.83 $5.83

-6.00%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.64 $3.64

4.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.69 $2.69

-8.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.90 $7.90

1.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.19 $10.19

-12.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.30 $1.30

-14.62%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.04 $5.04

-26.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.53 $4.53

-25.61%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.58 $5.58

-22.58%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$15.21 $15.21

-13.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$16.29 $16.29

-13.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.86 $19.86

-17.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.12 $5.12

-11.13%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.32 $2.32

-37.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.01 $4.01

17.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.52 $5.52

-24.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.38 $3.38

-23.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.93 $2.93

-19.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.18 $2.18

-18.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.70 $2.70

-20.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.69 $11.69

-13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.72 $14.72

3.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.42 $2.42

16.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.66 $2.66

29.32%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.77 $1.77

-12.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.04 $3.04

-7.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.81 $1.81

-11.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.64 $31.64

8.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.51 $1.51

-37.75%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$29.4K $29.4K

15.75%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.61%

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

$223 $223

$219 $219

1.45%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$76.6 $76.6

-23.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$74.1 $74.1

-4.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$130 $130

-55.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$19.68 $19.68

-27.54%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,645 $1,645

-8.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$32.4K $32.4K

-35.44%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$63.0 $63.0

-18.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$47.11 $47.11

-6.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$104 $104

-15.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$3,192 $3,192

-39.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,130 $2,130

-38.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,419 $5,419

-2.44%

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 Burbank, 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%

Burbank, CA

$2.1K 57.5% 61.8% $814

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Burbank, CA

$478 12.9% 17.7% $72

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Burbank, CA

$370 10% 5.1% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Burbank, CA

$398 10.7% 13.6% $48

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Burbank, CA

$143 3.9% 10.9% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Burbank, CA

$169 4.6% 96.1% $83

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Burbank, CA

$19 * 0.5% 67% $39

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 $3,192 in Burbank, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Burbank, CA pays 3% 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 $77.0 in Burbank, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $478, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Burbank, CA

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

06:58 6:58 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

103,340

💱 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 Burbank, CA 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Burbank, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Burbank, 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 $3,192 in Burbank, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,645 in Burbank, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $77.0 in Burbank, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Burbank, 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 37% less than in Burbank, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.