Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,866 in Highland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in Highland, CA
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Highland, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Highland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,866 in Highland, CA.

Austin, TX $2,689
Highland, CA $2,866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,109 in Highland, CA.

Austin, TX $4,112
Highland, CA $4,109

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,352 in Highland, CA.

Austin, TX $5,534
Highland, CA $5,352

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 6% less than in Highland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Highland, CA 112% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$25.43 $25.43

-16.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$78.5 $78.5

11.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$14.77 $14.77

-15.78%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.61 $5.61

-0.18%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.09 $3.09

18.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.45 $2.45

-2.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.11 $7.11

9.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$10.16 $10.16

-13.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 $1.28

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.85 $4.85

-25.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.84 $4.84

-27.69%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.48 $5.48

-18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.81 $10.81

21.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$8.63 $8.63

61.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$19.74 $19.74

-16.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.78 $4.78

-1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.21 $2.21

-32.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.01 $4.01

15.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.32 $5.32

-15.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.25 $3.25

-21.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.79 $2.79

-14.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.98 $1.98

-7.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.65 $2.65

-19.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.67 $11.67

-13.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$15.06 $15.06

-1.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.45 $2.45

15.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.77 $2.77

18.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.94 $1.94

-36.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$59.9 $59.9

-30.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.74 $3.74

-28.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.24 $2.24

-27.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$38.33 $38.33

-8.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.59 $1.59

-38.36%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$28.7K $28.7K

19.64%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.61%

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

$252 $252

$217 $217

16.23%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$78.8 $78.8

-24.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$79.0 $79.0

-11.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$39.43 $39.43

53.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$18.72 $18.72

-26.55%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,201 $1,201

21.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$12.8K $12.8K

107.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$63.7 $63.7

-17.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$47.17 $47.17

-2.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$107 $107

-19.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$104 $104

2.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,468 $1,468

49.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,374 $1,374

-7.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,785 $2,785

43.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,102 $2,102

14.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,804 $2,804

163.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,225 $2,225

33.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.31

8.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Highland, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Highland, CA

$1.4K 48% 8.3% $105

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Highland, CA

$420 14.7% 3.1% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Highland, CA

$375 13.1% 1.8% $6.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Highland, CA

$393 13.7% 10.4% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Highland, CA

$144 5% 10.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Highland, CA

$77 2.7% 12.5% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Highland, CA

$83 2.9% 44.6% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,468 in Highland, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $79 in Highland, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $420, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Highland, CA

🕒 Local time

21:38 9:38 PM

19:38 7:38 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

51,550

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Highland, CA 1,880 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Highland, 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 $4,034 in Austin, TX and $4,300 in Highland, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,468 in Highland, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,866 in Highland, CA – Austin, TX is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 31% less than in Highland, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.