Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,825 in Murrieta, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
184

Cost of Living Index in Murrieta, CA
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Murrieta, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Murrieta, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,825

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,825 in Murrieta, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Murrieta, CA $3,825

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,937 in Murrieta, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Murrieta, CA $4,937

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,049 in Murrieta, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Murrieta, CA $6,049

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 32% less than in Murrieta, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Murrieta, CA 181% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$27.87 $27.87

-26.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$99.2 $99.2

-14.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$7.01 $7.01

72.90%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.88 $5.88

-3.91%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.12 $3.12

17.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.75 $2.75

-14.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.83 $7.83

0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$10.15 $10.15

-13.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.11 $1.11

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.46 $4.46

-17.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.79 $4.79

-30.90%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.57 $4.57

-9.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$8.62 $8.62

50.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$14.03 $14.03

-1.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$13.68 $13.68

19.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.82 $3.82

22.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.82 $1.82

-20.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.22 $3.22

58.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.53 $3.53

28.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.40 $3.40

-9.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.71 $1.71

39.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.26 $1.26

42.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.03 $1.03

115.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.59 $11.59

-13.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.85 $11.85

27.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.32 $2.32

25.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.18 $3.18

4.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.92 $2.92

-58.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$40.69 $40.69

-0.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.06 $3.06

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.04 $2.04

-19.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$28.12 $28.12

25.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 $1.36

-30.15%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.1K $30.1K

13.62%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.6K $23.6K

13.36%

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

$223 $223

$250 $250

-10.70%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$69.9 $69.9

-16.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.8 $68.8

3.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$39.84 $39.84

33.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$13.42 $13.42

4.77%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,904 $1,904

-23.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$36.8K $36.8K

-41.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.80 $49.80

5.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$35.60 $35.60

20.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$88.8 $88.8

-2.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$145 $145

-28.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,569 $2,569

-17.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,400 $2,400

-48.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,194 $3,194

20.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,854 $2,854

-15.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,990 $4,990

3.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.66

2.40%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Murrieta, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Murrieta, CA

$2.4K 62.7% 95% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Murrieta, CA

$363 9.5% 11.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Murrieta, CA

$389 10.2% 10.2% $36

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Murrieta, CA

$398 10.4% 14.2% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Murrieta, CA

$144 3.8% 11.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Murrieta, CA

$67 1.7% 17.8% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Murrieta, CA

$66 1.7% 16.2% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,569 in Murrieta, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $99 in Murrieta, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $363, with Murrieta, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Murrieta, CA

🕒 Local time

13:48 1:48 PM

11:48 11:48 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

109,830

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Murrieta, CA 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Murrieta, 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 4% 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 $2,569 in Murrieta, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,904 in Murrieta, 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 versus $99 in Murrieta, 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.