Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Indio, CA: $1,082 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
52

Cost of Living Index in Indio, CA
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Indio, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Indio, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,082

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,082 in Indio, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Indio, CA $1,082

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,700 in Indio, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Indio, CA $1,700

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,318 in Indio, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Indio, CA $2,318

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 149% more expensive than in Indio, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Indio, CA is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.38 $20.38

1.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.55 $49.55

70.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.96 $14.96

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.58 $3.58

53.07%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.28 $1.28

196.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.48 $2.48

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.47 $2.47

225.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.24 $9.24

-3.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.09 $1.09

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.01 $4.01

-7.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.81 $4.81

-29.94%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.67 $4.67

-7.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.70 $7.70

70.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$5.37 $5.37

163.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.98 $10.98

48.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.98 $4.98

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.71 $1.71

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.46 $5.46

-13.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.86 $5.86

-29.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.70 $3.70

-30.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.31 $2.31

1.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.02 $2.02

-12.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.92 $1.92

11.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.02 $10.02

0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.89 $14.89

2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.90 $1.90

48.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.09 $4.09

-15.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.47 $1.47

4.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.91 $3.91

-28.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 $1.37

-31.39%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.9K $28.9K

17.72%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.54%

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

$223 $223

$168 $168

32.14%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$67.7 $67.7

-12.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$58.7 $58.7

20.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.97 $14.97

-4.74%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,890 $1,890

-20.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$57.5 $57.5

-10.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.63 $39.63

11.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$51.0 $51.0

70.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$70.5 $70.5

47.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,478 $2,478

-21.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,167 $4,167

26.85%

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 19, 2026

Last update for Indio, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Indio, CA

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Indio, CA

$353 32.6% 13.1% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Indio, CA

$295 27.3% 16.3% $57

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Indio, CA

$297 27.4% 15.2% $53

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Indio, CA

$98 9.1% 23.8% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Indio, CA

$30 * 2.8% 65.3% $56

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Indio, CA

$9.8 * 0.9% 83.1% $48

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 $2,478 in Indio, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% 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 $50.0 in Indio, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $353 per month, with Indio, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Indio, CA

🕒 Local time

09:43 9:43 AM

07:43 7:43 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

89,137

💱 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 Indio, CA 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Indio, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Indio, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,478 in Indio, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,890 in Indio, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Indio, CA – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Indio, CA 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.

Expats usually find Indio, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.