Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Palm Springs, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,804 in Palm Springs, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 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
134

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
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Palm Springs, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,804

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,804 in Palm Springs, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Palm Springs, CA $2,804

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,462 in Palm Springs, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Palm Springs, CA $4,462

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,120 in Palm Springs, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Palm Springs, CA $6,120

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 7% less than in Palm Springs, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Palm Springs, CA 106% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$30.21 $30.21

-32.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$73.6 $73.6

15.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.83 $9.83

23.30%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.31 $5.31

6.40%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.77 $2.77

32.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.57 $1.57

50.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.96 $4.96

58.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.60 $5.60

57.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.35 $1.35

-15.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.01 $4.01

-7.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.96 $2.96

11.82%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.64 $5.64

-26.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.91 $13.91

-6.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$13.85 $13.85

0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$12.34 $12.34

32.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.01 $5.01

-6.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.14 $2.14

-32.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.52 $4.52

13.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.05 $5.05

-10.50%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$4.59 $4.59

-32.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$4.26 $4.26

-44.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.17 $2.17

-17.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.19 $2.19

1.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.80 $11.80

-15.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.53 $13.53

11.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.65 $1.65

76.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.78 $2.78

19.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.03 $1.03

18.45%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$33.71 $33.71

20.23%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.47 $3.47

-19.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.81 $1.81

-8.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$23.64 $23.64

49.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 $1.37

-30.66%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.3K $30.3K

12.75%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.96%

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

$223 $223

$243 $243

-8.30%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$81.6 $81.6

-28.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$66.5 $66.5

6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.81 $32.81

61.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$49.68 $49.68

-66.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.07 $12.07

16.49%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$556 $556

162.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$8,546 $8,546

149.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$31.48 $31.48

66.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.67 $34.67

23.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$72.4 $72.4

19.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$138 $138

-24.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,961 $1,961

7.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,378 $1,378

-10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,450 $3,450

11.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,963 $2,963

-18.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,132 $5,132

44.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$3,464 $3,464

-11.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,839 $4,839

7.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.68

2.10%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Palm Springs, 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%

Palm Springs, CA

$1.4K 49.1% 12% $147

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Palm Springs, CA

$415 14.8% 1.3% $5.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Palm Springs, CA

$391 14% 11% $39

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Palm Springs, CA

$388 13.8% 11.5% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Palm Springs, CA

$125 4.4% 3% $3.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Palm Springs, CA

$57 2% 29.8% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Palm Springs, CA

$50 1.8% 10.9% $6.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,961 in Palm Springs, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 7% 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 $74 in Palm Springs, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $415, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🕒 Local time

15:49 3:49 PM

13:49 1:49 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,575

💱 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 Palm Springs, CA 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Palm Springs, 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 7% 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 $1,961 in Palm Springs, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $556 in Palm Springs, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Palm Springs, CA – a meal for two runs $74 versus $85 in Austin, TX. 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.