Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,733 in Oakland, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
180

Cost of Living Index in Oakland, CA
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Oakland, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Oakland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,733

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,733 in Oakland, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Oakland, CA $3,733

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $5,782 in Oakland, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Oakland, CA $5,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $7,831 in Oakland, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Oakland, CA $7,831

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 28% less than in Oakland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Oakland, CA 176% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$24.50 $24.50

-15.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$118 $118

-28.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.79 $11.79

2.37%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.55 $5.55

-1.26%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.60 $3.60

5.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.42 $2.42

2.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.81 $7.81

3.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.22 $8.22

8.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.39 $1.39

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.99 $4.99

-25.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$8.45 $8.45

-60.12%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$6.18 $6.18

-30.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$25.97 $25.97

-49.44%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$18.25 $18.25

-22.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.57 $22.57

-27.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$7.94 $7.94

-42.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.37 $2.37

-38.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$8.32 $8.32

-43.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.58 $6.58

-36.93%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$5.14 $5.14

-49.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.97 $2.97

-20.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.56 $2.56

-30.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.05 $3.05

-29.84%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.88 $11.88

-14.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.90 $19.90

-23.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.72 $1.72

63.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.73 $3.73

-7.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.11 $3.11

-50.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$85.7 $85.7

-52.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.29 $3.29

-14.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.43 $2.43

-34.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$40.06 $40.06

-14.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.54 $1.54

-38.96%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

21.73%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.32%

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

$223 $223

$192 $192

16.13%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$64.7 $64.7

-9.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$66.4 $66.4

6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$39.08 $39.08

47.65%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$12.86 $12.86

28.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.71 $15.71

-9.23%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,701 $2,701

-44.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$36.9K $36.9K

-43.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$70.0 $70.0

-26.80%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$48.49 $48.49

-8.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$118 $118

-26.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$209 $209

-49.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,367 $2,367

-18.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,045 $2,045

-35.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,278 $4,278

-14.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,869 $3,869

-33.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$7,913 $7,913

-7.06%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$5,795 $5,795

-46.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$5,523 $5,523

-4.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.77

0.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Oakland, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Oakland, CA

$2K 54.8% 55.4% $729

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Oakland, CA

$603 16.2% 48.6% $197

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Oakland, CA

$323 8.7% 8.3% $29

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Oakland, CA

$378 10.1% 7.8% $27

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Oakland, CA

$200 5.4% 55.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Oakland, CA

$71 1.9% 18.2% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Oakland, CA

$114 3% 96.1% $56

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,367 in Oakland, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Oakland, CA pays 4% 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 $118 in Oakland, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $603 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Oakland, CA

🕒 Local time

09:18 9:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

433,031

💱 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 Oakland, CA 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 38% lower than in Oakland, 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 4% lower in Oakland, 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 $2,367 in Oakland, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,733 in Oakland, CA – a 38% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 109% less than in Oakland, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Oakland, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.