Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rancho Cucamonga, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
164

Cost of Living Index in Rancho Cucamonga, CA
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Rancho Cucamonga, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,385

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,385

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,782 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,782

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,179 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,179

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Rancho Cucamonga, CA 151% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.89 $24.89

-16.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.9 $80.9

4.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.87 $15.87

-22.37%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.64 $5.64

-0.18%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.15 $3.15

18.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.33 $2.33

7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.54 $7.54

6.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.24 $9.24

-2.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.23 $1.23

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.21 $4.21

-10.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.80 $4.80

-32.08%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.82 $4.82

-13.49%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.13 $13.13

-1.75%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.92 $10.92

29.67%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.14 $15.14

7.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.87 $4.87

-11.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.50 $2.50

-41.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.43 $5.43

-16.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.70 $5.70

-23.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.74 $3.74

-31.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.04 $3.04

-22.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.16 $2.16

-17.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.54 $2.54

-12.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.78 $11.78

-16.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.97 $14.97

0.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.48 $2.48

17.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.10 $4.10

-15.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.97 $1.97

-24.37%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$59.4 $59.4

-29.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.50 $2.50

9.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.48 $1.48

-35.81%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.4K $37.4K

-3.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.3K $26.3K

2.95%

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

$229 $229

$220 $220

4.12%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$72.4 $72.4

-17.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$72.9 $72.9

-4.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$23.28 $23.28

145.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.85 $9.85

65.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.30 $17.30

-17.46%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,005 $1,005

49.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$58.1 $58.1

-9.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.54 $39.54

10.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$107 $107

-20.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$145 $145

-28.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,467 $2,467

-22.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,914 $1,914

-33.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,828 $3,828

-4.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,947 $2,947

-13.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,140 $5,140

-0.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.31

7.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$1.9K 56.5% 50.2% $640

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$429 12.7% 6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$365 10.8% 1.9% $6.9

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$393 11.6% 10.9% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$157 4.6% 22.7% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$58 1.7% 32.5% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Rancho Cucamonga, CA

$70 * 2.1% 18.8% $11

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA pays 0% 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 $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $429, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

10:55 10:55 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

170,714

💱 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 Rancho Cucamonga, CA 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 0% lower in Rancho Cucamonga, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 42% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, 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 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Rancho Cucamonga, CA are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.