Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Laguna Niguel, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,100 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
206

Cost of Living Index in Laguna Niguel, CA
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Laguna Niguel, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Laguna Niguel, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,258

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Laguna Niguel, CA $4,258

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,464 in Laguna Niguel, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Laguna Niguel, CA $5,464

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,671 in Laguna Niguel, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Laguna Niguel, CA $6,671

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 37% less than in Laguna Niguel, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Laguna Niguel, CA 215% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.71 $24.71

-15.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$104 $104

-18.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.65 $13.65

-9.74%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.80 $5.80

-2.93%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.02 $3.02

23.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.97 $1.97

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.82 $7.82

2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$10.12 $10.12

-10.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.30 $1.30

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.67 $4.67

-19.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.75 $4.75

-31.37%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.95 $4.95

-15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.65 $12.65

1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$15.91 $15.91

-11.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.72 $19.72

-17.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.64 $5.64

-23.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 $1.72

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.69 $4.69

-3.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.61 $6.61

-34.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.37 $3.37

-23.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.84 $2.84

-17.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.38 $2.38

-25.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.20 $2.20

0.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.75 $11.75

-15.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.12 $15.12

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.75 $1.75

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.68 $2.68

29.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$64.1 $64.1

-34.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.02 $3.02

-9.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.81 $1.81

-8.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.31 $32.31

9.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 $1.54

-38.31%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.6K $37.6K

-4.12%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.7K $25.7K

5.16%

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

$229 $229

$279 $279

-18.05%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$70.7 $70.7

-15.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$79.8 $79.8

-12.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$94.3 $94.3

-39.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.35 $16.35

-12.66%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,656 $1,656

-9.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$32.3K $32.3K

-33.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$74.3 $74.3

-28.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.82 $40.82

7.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$119 $119

-28.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$172 $172

-39.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,927 $2,927

-34.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,593 $2,593

-50.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,575 $4,575

-19.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,988 $2,988

-15.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,014 $5,014

2.13%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Laguna Niguel, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$2.6K 60.9% 104% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$462 10.8% 14.1% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$430 10.1% 20% $72

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$388 9.1% 9.5% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$182 4.3% 42.5% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$127 3% 48% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Laguna Niguel, CA

$76 * 1.8% 29.8% $17

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 $2,927 in Laguna Niguel, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2% 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 $104 in Laguna Niguel, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $462 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Laguna Niguel, CA

🕒 Local time

14:35 2:35 PM

12:35 12:35 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

64,771

💱 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 Laguna Niguel, CA 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Laguna Niguel, 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 2% 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 $2,927 in Laguna Niguel, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $4,258 in Laguna Niguel, CA – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Laguna Niguel, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 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 Laguna Niguel, 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 60% less than in Laguna Niguel, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.