Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Huntington Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Huntington Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
172

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,561

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Huntington Beach, CA $3,561

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $5,920 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Huntington Beach, CA $5,920

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $8,278 in Huntington Beach, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Huntington Beach, CA $8,278

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 24% less than in Huntington Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Huntington Beach, CA 163% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$15.92 $15.92

29.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.9 $78.9

7.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.83 $14.83

-18.61%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.84 $5.84

-6.16%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.13 $3.13

21.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.29 $2.29

7.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.27 $7.27

10.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.22 $8.22

8.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.19 $1.19

-6.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.10 $5.10

-27.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.88 $4.88

-30.94%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.08 $5.08

-14.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.22 $12.22

7.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$19.24 $19.24

-26.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.42 $15.42

5.90%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.69 $4.69

-2.99%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.70 $1.70

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.16 $4.16

13.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.57 $5.57

-25.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.47 $4.47

-42.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.16 $3.16

-25.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.09 $2.09

-15.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.46 $2.46

-13.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.95 $11.95

-15.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.10 $15.10

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.00 $2.00

41.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.25 $3.25

5.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.38 $4.38

-36.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.85 $1.85

-13.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$35.49 $35.49

-3.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.60 $1.60

-41.25%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

20.80%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.34%

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

$223 $223

$211 $211

5.30%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$62.3 $62.3

-5.52%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$78.5 $78.5

-10.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.12 $44.12

30.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.02 $15.02

-5.06%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,183 $1,183

27.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$43.3K $43.3K

-51.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$64.4 $64.4

-20.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.20 $41.20

7.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$101 $101

-13.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$117 $117

-10.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,612 $2,612

-25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,195 $2,195

-40.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,918 $4,918

-25.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$5,279 $5,279

-51.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$7,928 $7,928

-7.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$5,031 $5,031

-37.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,627 $5,627

-6.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.64

2.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Huntington Beach, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 61.6% 66.7% $878

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Huntington Beach, CA

$464 13% 14.4% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Huntington Beach, CA

$352 9.9% 0% $0.2

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Huntington Beach, CA

$316 8.9% 9.6% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Huntington Beach, CA

$146 4.1% 12.8% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Huntington Beach, CA

$74 2.1% 14% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Huntington Beach, CA

$14 * 0.4% 76.5% $44

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 $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 6% 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 Huntington Beach, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $464, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

17:38 5:38 PM

15:38 3:38 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

193,366

💱 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 Huntington Beach, CA 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Huntington Beach, 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 6% lower in Huntington Beach, 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 $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,183 in Huntington Beach, 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 $79.0 in Huntington Beach, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 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 Huntington Beach, 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 32% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.