Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,611 in Ojai, CA, rent and utilities included – about $12,000 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
175

Cost of Living Index in Ojai, CA
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Ojai, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Ojai, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,611

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,611 in Ojai, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Ojai, CA $3,611

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,299 in Ojai, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Ojai, CA $4,299

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,987 in Ojai, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Ojai, CA $4,987

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Ojai, CA 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.82 $24.82

-18.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$50.9 $50.9

66.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.52 $11.52

5.21%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.66 $5.66

-0.18%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.55 $2.55

44.31%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.76 $1.76

34.09%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.22 $8.22

-4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$9.60 $9.60

-8.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.19 $1.19

-4.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.76 $3.76

-1.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.23 $4.23

-21.75%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.85 $4.85

-14.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.34 $12.34

5.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$5.20 $5.20

166.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.15 $11.15

46.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.43 $5.43

-13.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.73 $1.73

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.31 $4.31

18.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.47 $6.47

-30.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.26 $1.26

144.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.71 $2.71

-12.18%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.95 $1.95

-7.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.27 $2.27

-2.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.91 $10.91

-8.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.73 $14.73

2.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.70 $1.70

71.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.20 $3.20

4.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.95 $1.95

-37.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$55.0 $55.0

-26.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.53 $4.53

-38.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.90 $1.90

-13.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$36.30 $36.30

-2.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 $1.54

-38.31%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.7K $27.7K

23.26%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.6K $26.6K

0.61%

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

$223 $223

$213 $213

4.63%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$70.9 $70.9

-17.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$70.4 $70.4

1.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$39.58 $39.58

34.01%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.08 $12.08

16.39%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,874 $1,874

-22.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$43.5K $43.5K

-50.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$57.8 $57.8

-9.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$41.11 $41.11

3.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$74.1 $74.1

16.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$167 $167

-37.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,829 $2,829

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,227 $2,227

-44.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,505 $2,505

54.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,096 $2,096

14.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,150 $3,150

135.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,140 $2,140

42.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Ojai, CA: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Ojai, CA

$2.2K 61.7% 81% $996

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Ojai, CA

$358 9.9% 12.6% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Ojai, CA

$354 9.8% 0.5% $1.8

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Ojai, CA

$379 10.5% 8.7% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Ojai, CA

$153 4.2% 19.1% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Ojai, CA

$64 1.8% 21.5% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Ojai, CA

$77 2.1% 36.1% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,829 in Ojai, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $51 in Ojai, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $358 per month, with Ojai, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Ojai, CA

🕒 Local time

17:54 5:54 PM

15:54 3:54 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,500

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ojai, CA 2,070 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Ojai, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $5,417 in Ojai, 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,829 in Ojai, 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 $3,611 in Ojai, CA – Austin, TX is about 28% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 26% less than in Ojai, 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.