Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Antonio, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio, TX: $2,367 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,900 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
113

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,367

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in San Antonio, TX

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 San Antonio, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,367 in San Antonio, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
San Antonio, TX $2,367

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,599 in San Antonio, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
San Antonio, TX $3,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $4,831 in San Antonio, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
San Antonio, TX $4,831

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 10% more expensive than in San Antonio, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, San Antonio, TX 74% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$18.06 $18.06

12.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$71.0 $71.0

19.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$10.60 $10.60

14.34%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.17 $5.17

9.28%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.65 $2.65

38.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.74 $1.74

35.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.40 $5.40

45.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$5.84 $5.84

51.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.31 $3.31

11.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.31 $4.31

-23.20%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.68 $3.68

12.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.28 $12.28

5.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.79 $11.79

17.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$17.72 $17.72

-7.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.55 $1.55

-6.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.47 $4.47

14.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.58 $3.58

26.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.48 $2.48

24.19%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.04 $3.04

-21.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.92 $1.92

-6.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.26 $2.26

-1.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$10.02 $10.02

-0.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$14.75 $14.75

2.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.69 $2.69

8.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.50 $3.50

-4.86%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.32 $1.32

-7.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$38.02 $38.02

6.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.43 $3.43

-18.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.77 $1.77

-6.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$24.31 $24.31

45.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.97 $0.97

-2.06%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$36.9K $36.9K

-7.32%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.15%

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

$223 $223

$213 $213

4.54%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$73.4 $73.4

-20.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$78.5 $78.5

-9.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$35.23 $35.23

50.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$20.42 $20.42

-17.97%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.60 $14.60

-3.70%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,283 $1,283

13.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$19.2K $19.2K

11.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$51.3 $51.3

2.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.62 $49.62

-13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$136 $136

-36.33%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$150 $150

-31.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,437 $1,437

46.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,021 $1,021

20.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,887 $2,887

33.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,897 $1,897

26.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$4,357 $4,357

70.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,761 $1,761

73.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,901 $3,901

32.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.44

5.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Antonio, TX: October 25, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

San Antonio, TX

$1K 43.1% 17% $210

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

San Antonio, TX

$392 16.6% 4.3% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

San Antonio, TX

$365 15.4% 3.6% $13

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

San Antonio, TX

$295 12.5% 15.4% $54

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

San Antonio, TX

$174 7.4% 35.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

San Antonio, TX

$64 2.7% 20.6% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

San Antonio, TX

$56 2.4% 1.6% $0.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,437 in San Antonio, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 33% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $71 in San Antonio, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $392 per month, with San Antonio, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,434,625

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX San Antonio, TX 120 km

From you

Austin, TX
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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 San Antonio, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Antonio, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Antonio, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 33% 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 $1,437 in San Antonio, TX. 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 $2,367 in San Antonio, TX – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Antonio, TX runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though San Antonio, TX gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, San Antonio, TX is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.

Expats usually find San Antonio, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.