Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Newport Beach, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,600 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
248

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,160

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Newport Beach, CA $5,160

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $7,319 in Newport Beach, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Newport Beach, CA $7,319

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $9,477 in Newport Beach, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Newport Beach, CA $9,477

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 49% less than in Newport Beach, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Newport Beach, CA 279% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.79 $24.79

-17.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$98.1 $98.1

-13.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$14.86 $14.86

-18.44%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.72 $5.72

-1.22%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.02 $3.02

21.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.41 $2.41

-2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.31 $7.31

7.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.54 $9.54

-7.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.22 $1.22

-6.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$5.67 $5.67

-34.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.22 $4.22

-21.56%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.12 $5.12

-18.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.22 $12.22

6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.71 $8.71

59.13%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.03 $14.03

16.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.60 $4.60

1.96%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.70 $1.70

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.94 $3.94

29.70%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.74 $5.74

-21.25%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.62 $3.62

-14.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.07 $3.07

-22.48%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.11 $2.11

-14.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.29 $2.29

-3.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.62 $11.62

-14.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.74 $1.74

67.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.10 $3.10

7.42%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.60 $4.60

-39.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.82 $1.82

-9.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$36.58 $36.58

-3.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.53 $1.53

-37.91%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.8K $27.8K

23.03%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.9K $25.9K

3.36%

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

$223 $223

$217 $217

2.57%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$80.8 $80.8

-27.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.8 $68.8

3.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$117 $117

-54.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$28.41 $28.41

-41.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$20.06 $20.06

-29.91%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,746 $1,746

-16.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$36.6K $36.6K

-41.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$62.3 $62.3

-15.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.38 $41.38

3.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$79.4 $79.4

8.90%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$4,338 $4,338

-51.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$3,700 $3,700

-66.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$7,186 $7,186

-46.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$6,170 $6,170

-60.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$16.2K $16.2K

-54.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$16.0K $16.0K

-80.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,237 $6,237

-16.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.45

5.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.7% 201% $2.5K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Newport Beach, CA

$404 7.8% 1.3% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1% 4.1% $14

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Newport Beach, CA

$389 7.5% 11.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Newport Beach, CA

$129 2.5% 0.6% $0.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3.1% 94% $76

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3% 75.7% $43

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $4,338 in Newport Beach, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport Beach, CA pays 20% 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 in Austin, TX vs $98 in Newport Beach, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $404, with Newport Beach, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🕒 Local time

09:59 9:59 AM

07:59 7:59 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

85,186

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Newport Beach, CA 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Newport Beach, 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 17% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $4,338 in Newport Beach, 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 $5,160 in Newport Beach, CA – Austin, TX is about 49% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $98 in Newport Beach, 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.

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