Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Monrovia, CA: $2,698 and $2,704 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,704 in Monrovia, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Monrovia, CA $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $4,049 in Monrovia, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Monrovia, CA $4,049

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $5,394 in Monrovia, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Monrovia, CA $5,394

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Monrovia, CA; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Monrovia, CA 100% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$24.92 $24.92

-17.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$101 $101

-16.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.66 $11.66

3.52%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.61 $5.61

-2.32%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.68 $2.68

41.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.97 $1.97

25.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.23 $8.23

-2.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.63 $9.63

-7.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.18 $1.18

-5.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$5.85 $5.85

-36.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.23 $4.23

-20.33%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.94 $4.94

-12.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.40 $12.40

5.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$20.92 $20.92

-32.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.06 $14.06

16.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.62 $5.62

-19.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.70 $1.70

-14.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.29 $4.29

9.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.35 $6.35

-34.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.63 $3.63

-28.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.50 $3.50

-32.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.40 $2.40

-26.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.27 $2.27

-5.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.63 $11.63

-13.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.76 $14.76

2.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.75 $1.75

61.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.10 $3.10

10.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.95 $1.95

-21.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.61 $4.61

-39.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.81 $1.81

-11.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$35.58 $35.58

-3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.60 $1.60

-41.25%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.7K $27.7K

22.57%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.75%

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

$223 $223

$218 $218

2.09%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$72.4 $72.4

-18.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.3 $71.3

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.11 $39.11

47.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$11.79 $11.79

20.95%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,948 $1,948

-22.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$42.6K $42.6K

-50.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$73.1 $73.1

-29.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$40.92 $40.92

7.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$80.5 $80.5

8.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$171 $171

-39.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,577 $1,577

23.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,235 $1,235

6.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,490 $2,490

47.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,041 $2,041

25.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,557 $2,557

187.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,351 $2,351

33.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.64

2.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7% 6.1% $81

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7% 17.6% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4% 2.8% $9.7

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1% 8.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1% 27.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3% 27.3% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8% 62.9% $36

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 $1,577 in Monrovia, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $101 in Monrovia, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $477 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

14:03 2:03 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

36,590

💱 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 Monrovia, CA 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $4,056 in Monrovia, CA to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,577 in Monrovia, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Monrovia, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $101 in Monrovia, 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 Monrovia, 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.

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