Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Paso Robles, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Paso Robles, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
132

Cost of Living Index in Paso Robles, CA
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Paso Robles, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Paso Robles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,747

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Paso Robles, CA $2,747

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,325 in Paso Robles, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Paso Robles, CA $4,325

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,904 in Paso Robles, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Paso Robles, CA $5,904

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 5% less than in Paso Robles, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Paso Robles, CA 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$24.77 $24.77

-17.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$99.5 $99.5

-14.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.36 $11.36

6.69%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.21 $5.21

8.45%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.50 $2.50

47.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.46 $1.46

61.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.80 $7.80

0.90%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.95 $5.95

48.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.62 $1.62

-29.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.18 $2.18

69.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.44 $3.44

-3.78%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.20 $3.20

29.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.28 $15.28

-15.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$5.53 $5.53

150.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$8.88 $8.88

84.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.37 $3.37

39.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.07 $1.07

35.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.24 $2.24

128.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.12 $3.12

44.87%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.45 $1.45

112.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.68 $1.68

41.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.38 $2.38

-24.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.48 $1.48

50.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.88 $11.88

-16.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.46 $14.46

4.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.18 $2.18

33.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.38 $3.38

-1.48%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$5.44 $5.44

-77.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$68.8 $68.8

-41.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.79 $5.79

-51.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.34 $2.34

-29.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$50.2 $50.2

-29.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.31 $1.31

-27.48%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$31.4K $31.4K

9.00%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.19%

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

$223 $223

$360 $360

-38.08%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$58.0 $58.0

0.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$63.8 $63.8

11.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.94 $40.94

29.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$10.18 $10.18

64.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$11.78 $11.78

19.35%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,496 $2,496

-41.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$30.0K $30.0K

-28.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$49.88 $49.88

5.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$34.72 $34.72

23.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$81.9 $81.9

5.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$112 $112

-7.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,148 $2,148

-1.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,312 $1,312

-6.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,468 $3,468

11.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,827 $2,827

-14.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$6,301 $6,301

17.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$6,465 $6,465

-52.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,035 $3,035

70.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.47

5.41%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Paso Robles, CA: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Paso Robles, CA

$1.3K 47.8% 6.6% $81

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Paso Robles, CA

$294 10.7% 28.2% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Paso Robles, CA

$482 17.5% 36.7% $129

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Paso Robles, CA

$361 13.2% 3.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Paso Robles, CA

$125 4.6% 2.4% $3.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Paso Robles, CA

$64 2.4% 20.5% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Paso Robles, CA

$108 3.9% 91.4% $52

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,148 in Paso Robles, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 71% 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 Paso Robles, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $294, with Paso Robles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Paso Robles, CA

🕒 Local time

19:07 7:07 PM

17:07 5:07 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

29,793

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Paso Robles, CA 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Paso Robles, 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 71% 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 $2,148 in Paso Robles, 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 $2,747 in Paso Robles, CA – Austin, TX is about 5% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 41% less than in Paso Robles, 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.