Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mammoth Lakes, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Mammoth Lakes, CA: $2,520 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
126

Cost of Living Index in Mammoth Lakes, CA
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Mammoth Lakes, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Mammoth Lakes, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,520

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,520 in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Mammoth Lakes, CA $2,520

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,657 in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Mammoth Lakes, CA $3,657

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,794 in Mammoth Lakes, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Mammoth Lakes, CA $4,794

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 7% more expensive than in Mammoth Lakes, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Mammoth Lakes, CA 86% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.12 $20.12

2.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$47.35 $47.35

78.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$13.86 $13.86

-12.91%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.00 $5.00

9.60%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.54 $2.54

49.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.05 $2.05

20.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.08 $5.08

58.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.17 $6.17

43.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.08 $1.08

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.73 $2.73

36.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.72 $4.72

-28.60%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.01 $4.01

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$4.38 $4.38

199.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.86 $9.86

43.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.05 $16.05

1.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$2.26 $2.26

101.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.05 $2.05

-28.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.50 $4.50

4.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.37 $3.37

23.15%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.17 $2.17

18.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.14 $2.14

9.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.02 $1.02

73.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.98 $1.98

8.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.73 $11.73

-13.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$18.15 $18.15

-16.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.30 $2.30

22.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$6.38 $6.38

-46.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.24 $2.24

-31.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.28 $4.28

-34.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 $1.54

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$27.36 $27.36

25.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.46 $1.46

-35.62%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

24.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$28.0K $28.0K

-4.58%

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

$223 $223

$245 $245

-9.08%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$58.6 $58.6

0.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$75.3 $75.3

-6.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$44.40 $44.40

29.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$17.73 $17.73

-19.57%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,201 $1,201

25.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$12.8K $12.8K

63.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$59.1 $59.1

-13.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.58 $43.58

1.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$94.8 $94.8

-8.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$176 $176

-40.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,606 $1,606

20.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,212 $1,212

8.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,173 $2,173

68.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,128 $2,128

20.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,396 $2,396

206.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,598 $2,598

20.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$6,791 $6,791

-22.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.4

6.09%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mammoth Lakes, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$1.2K 48.1% 7.9% $105

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$341 13.6% 15.9% $65

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$379 15% 7.6% $27

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$319 12.7% 9% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$168 6.7% 30.4% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$80 3.2% 7.4% $6.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Mammoth Lakes, CA

$21 * 0.8% 63.8% $37

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 $1,606 in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mammoth Lakes, CA pays 28% 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 $47.00 in Mammoth Lakes, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $341 per month, with Mammoth Lakes, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Mammoth Lakes, CA

🕒 Local time

01:02 1:02 AM

23:02 11:02 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,000

💱 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 Mammoth Lakes, CA 2,120 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Mammoth Lakes, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mammoth Lakes, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 28% lower in Mammoth Lakes, 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 $1,606 in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,201 in Mammoth Lakes, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Mammoth Lakes, CA – a meal for two runs $47.00 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. Mammoth Lakes, 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 Mammoth Lakes, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.