Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Costa Mesa, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Costa Mesa, CA $3,959

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,540 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Costa Mesa, CA $5,540

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $7,121 in Costa Mesa, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Costa Mesa, CA $7,121

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 33% less than in Costa Mesa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Costa Mesa, CA 193% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.85 $19.85

4.63%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.6 $78.6

7.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.90 $14.90

-17.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.59 $5.59

0.72%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.40 $3.40

9.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.32 $7.32

9.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.73 $9.73

-7.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.01 $4.01

-6.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.69 $4.69

-30.49%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.09 $5.09

-18.07%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.82 $12.82

0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$20.19 $20.19

-29.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.58 $21.58

-24.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.01 $5.01

-13.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.48 $2.48

-41.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.53 $4.53

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.80 $5.80

-25.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.53 $4.53

-43.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.32 $2.32

1.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.16 $2.16

-17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.90 $1.90

16.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.60 $11.60

-14.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.06 $15.06

0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.01 $2.01

45.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.18 $4.18

-17.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.95 $1.95

-23.59%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$69.9 $69.9

-40.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.10 $6.10

-55.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.47 $1.47

-35.37%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.2K $37.2K

-3.11%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.87%

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

$229 $229

$218 $218

5.23%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$68.5 $68.5

-13.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$71.5 $71.5

-2.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.81 $39.81

43.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.21 $12.21

33.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.67 $16.67

-14.34%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,196 $1,196

25.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.1 $57.1

-7.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$47.38 $47.38

-7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$93.2 $93.2

-9.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$128 $128

-19.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,726 $2,726

-30.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,467 $2,467

-48.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,187 $4,187

-12.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$3,833 $3,833

-33.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$9,284 $9,284

-17.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$7,077 $7,077

-55.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$6,286 $6,286

-18.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.39

6.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3% 93.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1% 18.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9% 1% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7% 14.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9% 14.7% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1% 42.7% $25

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Costa Mesa, CA pays 23% 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 $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $480, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

14:14 2:14 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

109,960

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Costa Mesa, CA 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Costa Mesa, 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 23% lower in Costa Mesa, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 67% less than in Costa Mesa, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 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 Costa Mesa, 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 49% less than in Costa Mesa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.