Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,035 in Downey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 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
148

Cost of Living Index in Downey, CA
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Downey, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Downey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,035

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,035 in Downey, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Downey, CA $3,035

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,713 in Downey, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Downey, CA $4,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,391 in Downey, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Downey, CA $6,391

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 12% less than in Downey, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Downey, CA 125% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.83 $24.83

-16.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.2 $80.2

5.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.21 $15.21

-19.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.66 $5.66

-0.53%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.16 $3.16

17.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.34 $2.34

6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.38 $7.38

9.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.36 $9.36

-3.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.10 $4.10

-8.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.70 $4.70

-30.64%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.67 $4.67

-10.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.40 $13.40

5.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.25 $15.25

6.36%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.70 $4.70

-7.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 $1.65

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.13 $4.13

9.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.48 $5.48

-20.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.71 $3.71

-30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.08 $3.08

-23.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.03 $2.03

-12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.23 $2.23

-0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.68 $11.68

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.98 $14.98

0.67%

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

$4.20 $4.20

-17.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.34 $6.34

-56.94%

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

$37.7K $37.7K

-4.39%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

5.27%

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

$229 $229

$170 $170

34.47%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$66.6 $66.6

-10.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$72.3 $72.3

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$34.92 $34.92

63.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.11 $15.11

-5.49%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,188 $1,188

26.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$58.6 $58.6

-9.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$45.89 $45.89

-4.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$92.0 $92.0

-7.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$144 $144

-28.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,946 $1,946

-2.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,693 $1,693

-24.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,725 $3,725

-1.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$3,383 $3,383

-24.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,755 $5,755

32.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,766 $5,766

-45.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,178 $4,178

22.56%

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 Downey, 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%

Downey, CA

$1.7K 55.8% 32.9% $419

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Downey, CA

$419 13.8% 3.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Downey, CA

$309 10.2% 13.7% $49

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Downey, CA

$390 12.8% 10.2% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Downey, CA

$153 5.1% 19.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Downey, CA

$65 2.2% 24.1% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Downey, CA

$6.3 * 0.2% 89.2% $52

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 $1,946 in Downey, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 23% 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 $80.0 in Downey, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $419, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Downey, CA

🕒 Local time

06:53 6:53 AM

04:53 4:53 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

114,355

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Downey, CA 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Downey, 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 23% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,946 in Downey, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,188 in Downey, 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 $80.0 in Downey, 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 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Downey, 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 14% less than in Downey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.