Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Redwood City, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 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
203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $4,197 in Redwood City, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Redwood City, CA $4,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $6,241 in Redwood City, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Redwood City, CA $6,241

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $8,286 in Redwood City, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Redwood City, CA $8,286

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 37% less than in Redwood City, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Redwood City, CA 211% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$25.04 $25.04

-17.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$110 $110

-22.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.44 $13.44

-8.33%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.64 $5.64

-0.18%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.23 $3.23

15.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.65 $2.65

-5.66%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.20 $8.20

-1.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.87 $8.87

1.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.53 $1.53

-26.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.37 $5.37

-30.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.86 $4.86

-32.92%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.74 $7.74

-46.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.07 $15.07

-14.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.63 $10.63

33.21%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.61 $19.61

-17.29%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.25 $6.25

-30.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.85 $2.85

-48.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.48 $4.48

0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.22 $6.22

-30.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.99 $2.99

-13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.65 $3.65

-35.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.78 $2.78

-35.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.62 $2.62

-15.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.85 $11.85

-16.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$20.28 $20.28

-25.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.64 $2.64

10.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.41 $3.41

1.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.78 $4.78

-68.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.25 $4.25

-35.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.21 $1.21

37.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$38.38 $38.38

-8.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.57 $1.57

-39.49%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.4K $37.4K

-3.66%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.5K $26.5K

2.03%

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

$229 $229

$237 $237

-3.44%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$53.7 $53.7

10.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.5 $69.5

0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$239 $239

-76.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$29.93 $29.93

-45.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.91 $17.91

-20.27%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,907 $2,907

-48.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$43.0K $43.0K

-50.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$45.86 $45.86

15.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$25.04 $25.04

75.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$98.8 $98.8

-14.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$114 $114

-9.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$4,248 $4,248

-55.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,521 $2,521

-49.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$5,692 $5,692

-35.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$4,469 $4,469

-43.20%

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

$8,008 $8,008

-36.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.82

-0.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Redwood City, CA: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1% 97.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8% 21.9% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6% 0.6% $2.1

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3% 10.3% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Redwood City, CA

$128 3% 0.3% $0.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6% 220% $189

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7% 49.9% $29

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 $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Redwood City, CA pays 56% 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 $110 in Redwood City, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $493 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🕒 Local time

22:25 10:25 PM

20:25 8:25 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

88,314

💱 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 Redwood City, CA 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Redwood City, 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 56% lower in Redwood City, 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 $4,248 in Redwood City, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $2,907 in Redwood City, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $110 in Redwood City, CA. 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Redwood City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.