Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Los Banos, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Banos, CA: $2,394 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 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
116

Cost of Living Index in Los Banos, CA
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Los Banos, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Los Banos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,394

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,394 in Los Banos, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Los Banos, CA $2,394

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,580 in Los Banos, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Los Banos, CA $3,580

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,767 in Los Banos, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Los Banos, CA $4,767

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Los Banos, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Los Banos, CA 77% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$14.86 $14.86

38.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$101 $101

-16.28%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.83 $9.83

22.79%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.11 $5.11

7.24%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.53 $2.53

50.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.04 $2.04

21.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.94 $7.94

1.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.24 $8.24

7.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.03 $1.03

7.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.21 $3.21

15.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.95 $2.95

14.24%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.58 $1.58

173.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.69 $8.69

51.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$7.73 $7.73

83.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.80 $12.80

27.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.39 $3.39

34.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.35 $1.35

8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.79 $2.79

68.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.83 $2.83

46.64%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.44 $2.44

-3.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.30 $2.30

-23.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.49 $2.49

-14.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.10 $11.10

-9.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.10 $14.10

7.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.87 $1.87

50.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.31 $1.31

162.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.04 $2.04

-24.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.71 $2.71

3.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.56 $1.56

2.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.88 $32.88

4.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.45 $1.45

-35.17%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.4K $30.4K

11.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.87%

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

$223 $223

$217 $217

2.45%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$44.68 $44.68

31.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$88.7 $88.7

-20.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.09 $39.09

47.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.86 $14.86

-4.04%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,509 $2,509

-39.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$29.5K $29.5K

-29.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$23.82 $23.82

115.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$21.67 $21.67

103.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$52.3 $52.3

66.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$59.4 $59.4

75.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,618 $1,618

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,294 $1,294

1.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,682 $2,682

36.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,280 $2,280

12.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,713 $2,713

171.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,408 $2,408

29.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$6,598 $6,598

-19.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.47

4.95%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Los Banos, 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%

Los Banos, CA

$1.3K 54.1% 1.7% $22

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Los Banos, CA

$307 12.8% 24.4% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Los Banos, CA

$351 14.7% 0.4% $1.4

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Los Banos, CA

$284 11.9% 18.8% $66

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Los Banos, CA

$71 3% 45.2% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Los Banos, CA

$69 2.9% 20.2% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Los Banos, CA

$19 * 0.8% 67.8% $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 $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Banos, CA pays 25% 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 $101 in Los Banos, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $307, with Los Banos, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Los Banos, CA

🕒 Local time

08:16 8:16 AM

06:16 6:16 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

35,972

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Los Banos, CA 2,260 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Los Banos, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Los Banos, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 25% lower in Los Banos, 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 $1,618 in Los Banos, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,509 in Los Banos, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Los Banos, CA – a meal for two runs $101 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. Los Banos, 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 Los Banos, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.