Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Menlo Park, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Menlo Park, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
173

Cost of Living Index in Menlo Park, CA
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Menlo Park, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Menlo Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Menlo Park, CA $3,601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $6,632 in Menlo Park, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Menlo Park, CA $6,632

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $9,663 in Menlo Park, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Menlo Park, CA $9,663

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 25% less than in Menlo Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Menlo Park, CA 166% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$25.36 $25.36

-18.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$108 $108

-21.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.13 $12.13

-0.49%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.81 $5.81

-5.68%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.08 $3.08

23.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.35 $2.35

5.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.06 $8.06

-0.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.97 $7.97

11.42%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.39 $1.39

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.19 $4.19

-11.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.90 $4.90

-31.22%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$6.46 $6.46

-33.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$24.57 $24.57

-46.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.73 $11.73

20.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.02 $13.02

25.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.58 $5.58

-18.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.29 $2.29

-36.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.92 $4.92

-4.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.80 $5.80

-28.45%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.27 $3.27

-21.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.09 $3.09

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.46 $2.46

-28.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.63 $2.63

-18.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.55 $11.55

-12.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.00 $13.00

16.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.70 $1.70

65.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.49 $2.49

38.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$4.63 $4.63

-66.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.27 $3.27

-14.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.42 $2.42

-33.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$39.80 $39.80

-13.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.54 $1.54

-38.96%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

24.84%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.54%

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

$223 $223

$187 $187

19.14%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$38.24 $38.24

54.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.5 $68.5

3.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.11 $16.11

-11.48%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,684 $2,684

-43.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$37.1K $37.1K

-43.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$51.1 $51.1

0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.52 $39.52

11.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$88.5 $88.5

-1.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$59.9 $59.9

74.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$3,223 $3,223

-39.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,287 $2,287

-42.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$6,145 $6,145

-40.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$6,562 $6,562

-60.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$21.9K $21.9K

-66.36%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$16.5K $16.5K

-80.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,887 $4,887

8.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.69

1.49%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Menlo Park, 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%

Menlo Park, CA

$2.3K 63.5% 73.8% $971

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Menlo Park, CA

$460 12.8% 13.3% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Menlo Park, CA

$294 8.2% 16.6% $58

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Menlo Park, CA

$387 10.7% 10.5% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Menlo Park, CA

$108 3% 16.7% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Menlo Park, CA

$32 * 0.9% 62.6% $54

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Menlo Park, CA

$34 * 0.9% 41.5% $24

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 $3,223 in Menlo Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% 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 $108 in Menlo Park, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $460 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Menlo Park, CA

🕒 Local time

02:36 2:36 AM

00:36 12:36 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

33,780

💱 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 Menlo Park, CA 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Menlo Park, 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 8% 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 $3,223 in Menlo Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,684 in Menlo Park, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $108 in Menlo Park, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 $2,698 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 Menlo Park, 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 33% less than in Menlo Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.