Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and California, MD

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in California, MD: $2,698 and $2,616 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in California, MD

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 California, MD actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,616 in California, MD.

Austin, TX $2,698
California, MD $2,616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,733 in California, MD.

Austin, TX $4,160
California, MD $3,733

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,849 in California, MD.

Austin, TX $5,622
California, MD $4,849

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 3% more expensive than in California, MD, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, California, MD 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$24.81 $24.81

-16.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.1 $75.1

12.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.93 $9.93

21.55%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.98 $5.98

-8.36%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.73 $2.73

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.44 $2.44

1.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.10 $5.10

57.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.80 $7.80

13.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.00 $1.00

11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.83 $3.83

-2.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.17 $2.17

55.30%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.97 $3.97

8.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.81 $11.81

11.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.61 $14.61

-3.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.07 $13.07

24.94%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.37 $4.37

4.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.21 $2.21

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.38 $4.38

7.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.70 $6.70

-38.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.37 $4.37

-40.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.94 $3.94

-40.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.97 $1.97

-10.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.01 $2.01

6.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$8.89 $8.89

13.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.05 $14.05

8.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.68 $1.68

67.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.80 $4.80

-28.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.16 $2.16

-28.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$81.4 $81.4

-49.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.05 $3.05

-8.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.41 $1.41

13.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$22.46 $22.46

52.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$33.5K $33.5K

1.55%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.1K $23.1K

16.00%

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

$223 $223

$98.2 $98.2

126.68%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$41.44 $41.44

42.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$62.0 $62.0

13.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.40 $39.40

46.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$10.91 $10.91

51.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$18.19 $18.19

-21.61%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,875 $1,875

-19.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$31.9K $31.9K

-34.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.9 $53.9

-4.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$47.77 $47.77

-7.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$85.3 $85.3

1.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$108 $108

-3.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,693 $1,693

14.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,338 $1,338

-1.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,793 $1,793

104.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,887 $1,887

35.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$6,716 $6,716

9.50%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$6,236 $6,236

-49.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$7,062 $7,062

-25.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.4

6.09%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for California, MD: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

California, MD

$1.3K 51.2% 1.7% $22

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

California, MD

$406 15.5% 0% $0.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

California, MD

$202 7.7% 42.7% $150

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

California, MD

$362 13.8% 3.4% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

California, MD

$133 5.1% 2.8% $3.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

California, MD

$76 2.9% 12.1% $10

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

California, MD

$100 3.8% 72.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,693 in California, MD. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

California, MD pays 34% 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 $75.0 in California, MD. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 California, MD

🕒 Local time

21:34 9:34 PM

22:34 10:34 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,000

💱 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 California, MD 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
California, MD

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 California, MD: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

California, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making California, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 34% lower in California, MD. 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 $1,693 in California, MD. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,616 in California, MD – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in California, MD runs roughly 99% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. California, MD 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.

Expats usually find California, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.