Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mission Viejo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Mission Viejo, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
194

Cost of Living Index in Mission Viejo, CA
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Mission Viejo, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Mission Viejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,984

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,984 in Mission Viejo, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Mission Viejo, CA $3,984

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,862 in Mission Viejo, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Mission Viejo, CA $4,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,741 in Mission Viejo, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Mission Viejo, CA $5,741

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 32% less than in Mission Viejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Mission Viejo, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.20 $21.20

-2.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$75.2 $75.2

12.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.06 $10.06

19.98%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.46 $5.46

0.37%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.06 $2.06

84.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.53 $1.53

61.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.14 $5.14

56.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$5.72 $5.72

55.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.08 $1.08

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.97 $3.97

-6.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.96 $1.96

71.94%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.54 $4.54

-4.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.87 $13.87

-5.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$13.60 $13.60

4.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.44 $12.44

31.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.05 $5.05

-9.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.56 $1.56

-6.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.91 $2.91

61.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.79 $4.79

-13.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.14 $2.14

20.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.35 $4.35

-45.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.05 $2.05

-13.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.27 $2.27

-5.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.56 $11.56

-12.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.64 $13.64

11.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.65 $1.65

70.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.67 $2.67

28.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.06 $2.06

-25.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.48 $3.48

-19.54%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.90 $1.90

-15.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$23.61 $23.61

45.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 $1.37

-31.39%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.4K $30.4K

11.87%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

1.99%

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

$223 $223

$244 $244

-8.92%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$79.8 $79.8

-26.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$65.5 $65.5

7.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.75 $39.75

45.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.80 $11.80

20.85%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$551 $551

174.11%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$8,298 $8,298

151.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$31.68 $31.68

61.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$34.66 $34.66

27.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$72.1 $72.1

20.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$138 $138

-24.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,653 $2,653

-26.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,683 $2,683

-50.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,774 $3,774

-2.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,907 $2,907

-11.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$7,598 $7,598

-3.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$5,292 $5,292

-40.87%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,808 $5,808

-8.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.68

1.65%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mission Viejo, 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%

Mission Viejo, CA

$2.7K 67.4% 104% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Mission Viejo, CA

$385 9.7% 5.2% $21

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Mission Viejo, CA

$390 9.8% 10.7% $38

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Mission Viejo, CA

$317 8% 9.5% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Mission Viejo, CA

$124 3.1% 3.8% $4.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mission Viejo, CA

$63 1.6% 26.5% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Mission Viejo, CA

$21 * 0.5% 63.3% $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 $2,653 in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mission Viejo, CA pays 10% 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 $75.0 in Mission Viejo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $385 per month, with Mission Viejo, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Mission Viejo, CA

🕒 Local time

03:47 3:47 AM

01:47 1:47 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

97,156

💱 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 Mission Viejo, CA 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 10% lower in Mission Viejo, 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 $2,653 in Mission Viejo, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $551 in Mission Viejo, 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 $75.0 in Mission Viejo, 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 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Mission Viejo, 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 48% less than in Mission Viejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.