Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Elk Grove, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
205

Cost of Living Index in Elk Grove, CA
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Elk Grove, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Elk Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,216

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Elk Grove, CA $4,216

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $6,106 in Elk Grove, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Elk Grove, CA $6,106

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $7,995 in Elk Grove, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Elk Grove, CA $7,995

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 36% less than in Elk Grove, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Elk Grove, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$22.18 $22.18

-6.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.0 $65.0

30.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.03 $12.03

0.33%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$7.04 $7.04

-22.16%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.14 $2.14

77.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.59 $2.59

-4.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$10.64 $10.64

-24.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$10.60 $10.60

-16.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.62 $1.62

-31.48%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.02 $4.02

-7.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$8.65 $8.65

-61.04%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.47 $5.47

-21.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$17.48 $17.48

-24.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$30.55 $30.55

-53.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.72 $27.72

-41.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$9.64 $9.64

-52.80%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.27 $3.27

-55.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$10.00 $10.00

-52.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$8.03 $8.03

-48.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$7.55 $7.55

-65.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$6.16 $6.16

-61.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$3.04 $3.04

-41.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.95 $1.95

9.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$13.09 $13.09

-22.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$20.61 $20.61

-26.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$8.98 $8.98

-61.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$8.09 $8.09

-80.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$148 $148

-72.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$6.88 $6.88

-59.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$3.66 $3.66

-56.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.38 $1.38

-31.88%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$31.2K $31.2K

8.78%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.5K $22.5K

19.22%

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

$223 $223

$255 $255

-12.61%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$108 $108

-45.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$136 $136

-47.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$102 $102

-43.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$24.76 $24.76

-33.24%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$17.69 $17.69

-19.39%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,436 $1,436

5.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$17.9K $17.9K

16.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$91.1 $91.1

-43.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$89.7 $89.7

-50.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$171 $171

-49.27%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 $130

-19.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,269 $2,269

-14.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,088 $2,088

-36.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,368 $3,368

8.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,473 $3,473

-26.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,900 $3,900

88.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,165 $3,165

-1.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$7,827 $7,827

-32.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.53

3.98%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Elk Grove, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Elk Grove, CA

$2.1K 49.5% 58.6% $772

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Elk Grove, CA

$679 * 16.1% 67.3% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Elk Grove, CA

$498 11.8% 41.5% $146

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Elk Grove, CA

$391 9.3% 11.8% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Elk Grove, CA

$217 5.1% 68% $88

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Elk Grove, CA

$138 3.3% 59.5% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Elk Grove, CA

$205 4.9% 255% $148

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 $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elk Grove, CA pays 48% 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 $65.0 in Elk Grove, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $679, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Elk Grove, CA

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

166,913

💱 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 Elk Grove, CA 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Elk Grove, 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 48% lower in Elk Grove, 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 $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA. 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 $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 261% less than in Elk Grove, 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Elk Grove, 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 56% less than in Elk Grove, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.