Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
140

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA.

Austin, TX $2,689
Monterey Park, CA $2,949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,287 in Monterey Park, CA.

Austin, TX $4,112
Monterey Park, CA $4,287

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $5,625 in Monterey Park, CA.

Austin, TX $5,534
Monterey Park, CA $5,625

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 9% less than in Monterey Park, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Monterey Park, CA 118% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$28.42 $28.42

-24.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$82.7 $82.7

6.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$15.16 $15.16

-17.94%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.92 $5.92

-5.41%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.04 $3.04

20.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.73 $2.73

-12.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$8.55 $8.55

-8.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$9.86 $9.86

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.27 $1.27

-11.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.87 $4.87

-25.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.64 $4.64

-24.57%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.42 $5.42

-17.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$10.88 $10.88

21.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$8.59 $8.59

62.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$20.16 $20.16

-18.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.67 $4.67

1.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.20 $2.20

-31.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.09 $4.09

13.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.64 $5.64

-19.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.41 $3.41

-25.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.80 $2.80

-14.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.95 $1.95

-5.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.62 $2.62

-18.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.84 $11.84

-15.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$14.73 $14.73

1.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.52 $2.52

11.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.78 $2.78

18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.76 $1.76

-30.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$56.7 $56.7

-26.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.75 $3.75

-28.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.22 $2.22

-26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$38.53 $38.53

-8.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.50 $1.50

-34.67%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$28.4K $28.4K

21.23%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.72%

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

$252 $252

$269 $269

-6.09%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$85.7 $85.7

-30.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$78.1 $78.1

-10.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$44.33 $44.33

36.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$18.34 $18.34

-25.03%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,186 $1,186

22.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$13.0K $13.0K

105.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$63.2 $63.2

-16.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$55.4 $55.4

-17.45%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$121 $121

-29.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$215 $215

-50.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,565 $1,565

40.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,302 $1,302

-2.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,619 $2,619

52.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,077 $2,077

15.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,585 $2,585

185.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,343 $2,343

26.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$1,626 $1,626

210.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.31

8.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.1% 2.6% $33

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.3% 3.5% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$432 14.7% 13.3% $51

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Monterey Park, CA

$429 14.6% 20.6% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Monterey Park, CA

$205 6.9% 57% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Monterey Park, CA

$81 2.8% 7.8% $6.9

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Monterey Park, CA

$79 2.7% 37.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 3.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $83 in Monterey Park, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $407 vs $421, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

01:33 1:33 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

60,269

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Monterey Park, CA 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Monterey 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 in Austin, TX is about 3.1 times higher, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA – Austin, TX is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 27% less than in Monterey Park, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

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.