Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cathedral City, CA

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Cathedral City, CA: $2,607 and $2,626 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
127

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,626

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Cathedral City, CA $2,626

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,862 in Cathedral City, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Cathedral City, CA $3,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,098 in Cathedral City, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Cathedral City, CA $5,098

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 1% less than in Cathedral City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Cathedral City, CA 93% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.69 $18.69

8.88%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.8 $75.8

11.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.90 $10.90

11.19%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.18 $5.18

9.07%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.49 $2.49

47.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.97 $1.97

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.04 $6.04

30.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.96 $6.96

26.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.00 $1.00

14.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.46 $3.46

6.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.42 $4.42

-25.11%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.25 $4.25

-2.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.16 $12.16

6.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.32 $11.32

22.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.20 $15.20

7.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.82 $4.82

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.58 $1.58

-8.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.22 $4.22

21.09%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.58 $4.58

-1.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.80 $2.80

10.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.86 $2.86

-16.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.12 $2.12

-15.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.17 $2.17

2.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.77 $9.77

2.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.90 $13.90

8.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.77 $1.77

64.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.45 $3.45

-3.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.98 $1.98

-38.38%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$62.0 $62.0

-34.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.55 $3.55

-21.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.59 $1.59

3.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.44 $29.44

20.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.89 $0.89

6.74%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.8K $29.8K

14.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.0K $26.0K

2.78%

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

$223 $223

$186 $186

19.64%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$53.2 $53.2

9.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.8 $68.8

3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$42.71 $42.71

24.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.46 $13.46

4.46%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,308 $1,308

11.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$23.8K $23.8K

-10.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$50.3 $50.3

4.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$39.94 $39.94

7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$85.1 $85.1

1.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$113 $113

-8.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,629 $1,629

29.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,347 $1,347

-8.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,592 $2,592

49.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,266 $2,266

6.22%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,761 $2,761

168.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,402 $2,402

27.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.51

4.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Cathedral City, CA

$1.3K 51.3% 9.5% $117

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Cathedral City, CA

$384 14.6% 6.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.8% 12.5% $44

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Cathedral City, CA

$306 11.7% 12% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5% 1.1% $1.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Cathedral City, CA

$81 3.1% 44.2% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $76 in Cathedral City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $384 per month, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🕒 Local time

10:56 10:56 AM

08:56 8:56 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

51,493

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cathedral City, CA 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Cathedral City, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $3,939 in Cathedral City, 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 35% less than in Cathedral City, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

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.