Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Redding, CA: $2,347 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 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
114

Cost of Living Index in Redding, CA
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Redding, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Redding, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,347 in Redding, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Redding, CA $2,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,370 in Redding, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Redding, CA $3,370

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,394 in Redding, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Redding, CA $4,394

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 11% more expensive than in Redding, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Redding, CA 72% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$14.82 $14.82

37.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$60.7 $60.7

39.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.96 $11.96

1.34%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.30 $5.30

6.60%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.47 $2.47

48.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.95 $1.95

21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.87 $5.87

34.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.98 $4.98

77.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.11 $1.11

2.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.12 $4.12

-10.44%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.22 $3.22

2.80%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.08 $4.08

1.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.76 $11.76

10.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$16.46 $16.46

-15.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.74 $18.74

-12.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.02 $6.02

-22.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 $1.65

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.74 $2.74

86.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.55 $5.55

-18.56%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.95 $3.95

-22.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.02 $3.02

-21.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.59 $2.59

-30.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.35 $1.35

64.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.94 $11.94

-16.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$10.58 $10.58

42.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.72 $1.72

69.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.63 $3.63

-8.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.99 $1.99

-38.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$50.6 $50.6

-19.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.22 $3.22

-13.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.42 $2.42

-31.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$40.15 $40.15

-11.86%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.53 $1.53

-37.91%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.2K $27.2K

25.56%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.08%

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

$223 $223

$191 $191

16.67%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.1 $59.1

-1.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$68.7 $68.7

3.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$47.26 $47.26

12.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$10.95 $10.95

28.40%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,527 $2,527

-42.25%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$37.6K $37.6K

-43.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$64.6 $64.6

-18.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$32.84 $32.84

30.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$91.8 $91.8

-5.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$202 $202

-48.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,377 $1,377

53.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,018 $1,018

20.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,876 $1,876

105.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,513 $1,513

59.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,028 $3,028

145.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,561 $2,561

19.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,672 $3,672

41.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.7

1.79%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Redding, 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%

Redding, CA

$1K 43.4% 17.3% $212

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Redding, CA

$416 17.7% 1.4% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Redding, CA

$319 13.6% 9.6% $34

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Redding, CA

$275 11.7% 21% $73

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Redding, CA

$176 7.5% 37% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Redding, CA

$69 3% 14.8% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Redding, CA

$74 3.2% 30.9% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,377 in Redding, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 41% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $61 in Redding, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $416, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Redding, CA

🕒 Local time

17:03 5:03 PM

15:03 3:03 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

91,582

💱 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 Redding, CA 2,500 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Redding, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Redding, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 41% 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 $1,377 in Redding, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $2,527 in Redding, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Redding, CA – a meal for two runs $61 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Redding, CA wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.