Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Merced, CA: $2,607 and $2,556 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
122

Cost of Living Index in Merced, CA
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Merced, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Merced, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,556

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,556 in Merced, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Merced, CA $2,556

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,713 in Merced, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Merced, CA $3,713

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,870 in Merced, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Merced, CA $4,870

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 2% more expensive than in Merced, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Merced, CA 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.37 $17.37

17.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$40.27 $40.27

110.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.91 $11.91

1.76%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.79 $5.79

-2.42%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.43 $2.43

51.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.47 $1.47

60.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.95 $8.95

-12.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$10.02 $10.02

-11.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.24 $1.24

-8.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.35 $4.35

-15.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.04 $4.04

-18.07%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.82 $5.82

-28.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$19.36 $19.36

-32.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.35 $14.35

-3.41%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$21.51 $21.51

-24.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.35 $4.35

7.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.94 $1.94

-25.26%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$5.64 $5.64

-9.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.49 $5.49

-17.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.52 $3.52

-12.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.03 $3.03

-21.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.35 $2.35

-23.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.55 $2.55

-12.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.81 $11.81

-15.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.91 $15.91

-5.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.42 $2.42

20.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.31 $3.31

0.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.54 $1.54

-20.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$61.1 $61.1

-33.70%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.03 $3.03

-8.25%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.70 $1.70

-2.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$26.85 $26.85

31.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.33 $1.33

-28.57%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.4K $36.4K

-6.17%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.15%

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

$223 $223

$240 $240

-6.98%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$29.53 $29.53

98.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$84.6 $84.6

-15.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$33.09 $33.09

60.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$13.86 $13.86

20.85%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$16.14 $16.14

-12.89%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,870 $1,870

-21.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$39.2K $39.2K

-45.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$60.7 $60.7

-13.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$52.1 $52.1

-17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$102 $102

-15.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$121 $121

-14.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,641 $1,641

28.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,102 $1,102

11.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,970 $1,970

96.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,889 $1,889

27.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,939 $2,939

152.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,932 $2,932

4.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,357 $3,357

54.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.36

7.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Merced, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Merced, CA

$1.1K 43.1% 10.5% $129

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Merced, CA

$480 18.8% 17.2% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Merced, CA

$354 13.9% 0.3% $1.2

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Merced, CA

$325 12.7% 6.8% $24

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Merced, CA

$151 5.9% 17.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Merced, CA

$65 2.6% 19.5% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Merced, CA

$79 3.1% 39.6% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $40 in Merced, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $480, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Merced, CA

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

83,316

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Merced, CA 2,240 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Merced, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Merced, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,641 in Merced, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,556 in Merced, CA – a 2% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 34% less than in Merced, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Merced, CA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

It comes down to priorities – Merced, CA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.