Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Lodi, CA: $2,557 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Lodi, CA
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Lodi, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Lodi, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,557

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,557 in Lodi, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Lodi, CA $2,557

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,759 in Lodi, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Lodi, CA $3,759

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,962 in Lodi, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Lodi, CA $4,962

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Lodi, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Lodi, CA 89% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.81 $19.81

4.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.7 $73.7

14.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.45 $11.45

5.41%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.34 $5.34

2.62%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.73 $2.73

39.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.96 $1.96

26.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.06 $6.06

32.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.11 $7.11

24.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.01 $1.01

9.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.43 $3.43

8.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.33 $4.33

-22.17%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.21 $4.21

2.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.34 $12.34

6.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.31 $11.31

25.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.34 $17.34

-5.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.98 $4.98

-8.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 $1.63

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.34 $4.34

8.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.76 $4.76

-12.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.86 $2.86

-9.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.05 $3.05

-22.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.12 $2.12

-16.51%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.23 $2.23

-4.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.19 $9.19

9.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.71 $14.71

3.26%

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

$3.35 $3.35

2.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.20 $2.20

-30.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.92 $2.92

-4.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.49 $1.49

7.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$33.90 $33.90

1.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.49 $1.49

-36.91%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.0K $28.0K

21.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.4K $26.4K

1.43%

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

$223 $223

$198 $198

12.71%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$59.0 $59.0

-0.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$70.3 $70.3

0.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.36 $42.36

36.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.69 $12.69

12.37%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,264 $1,264

19.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$26.6K $26.6K

-21.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$52.6 $52.6

-2.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$41.02 $41.02

7.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$87.6 $87.6

-0.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$105 $105

-0.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,567 $1,567

23.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,298 $1,298

1.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,550 $2,550

43.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,187 $2,187

17.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,770 $2,770

165.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,369 $2,369

32.10%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,452 $4,452

18.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.62

2.57%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Lodi, 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%

Lodi, CA

$1.3K 50.8% 1.4% $18

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Lodi, CA

$396 15.5% 2.4% $9.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Lodi, CA

$327 12.8% 7.2% $25

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Lodi, CA

$320 12.5% 8.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Lodi, CA

$129 5% 0.2% $0.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lodi, CA

$68 2.7% 21.4% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Lodi, CA

$19 * 0.8% 66.9% $39

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 $1,567 in Lodi, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% 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 $74.0 in Lodi, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $396 per month, with Lodi, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Lodi, CA

🕒 Local time

06:42 6:42 AM

04:42 4:42 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

66,348

💱 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 Lodi, CA 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Lodi, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lodi, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 19% 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 $1,567 in Lodi, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,264 in Lodi, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lodi, CA – a meal for two runs $74.0 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 $2,000. Lodi, 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 Lodi, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.