Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Diego, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 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
197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $4,077 in San Diego, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
San Diego, CA $4,077

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $6,059 in San Diego, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Diego, CA $6,059

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $8,041 in San Diego, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
San Diego, CA $8,041

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 35% less than in San Diego, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, San Diego, CA 202% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.72 $24.72

-15.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$97.7 $97.7

-13.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.25 $13.25

-7.02%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.96 $5.96

-5.54%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.12 $3.12

19.23%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.62 $2.62

-4.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.14 $8.14

-1.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$11.11 $11.11

-18.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.37 $1.37

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$5.58 $5.58

-32.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.70 $4.70

-30.64%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$6.77 $6.77

-38.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$17.12 $17.12

-24.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.30 $14.30

-0.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$20.72 $20.72

-21.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.62 $4.62

-6.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.86 $1.86

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.32 $4.32

4.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.08 $5.08

-14.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.11 $3.11

-17.04%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.70 $2.70

-12.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.12 $2.12

-16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.01 $2.01

10.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.74 $11.74

-15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.72 $16.72

-9.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.16 $2.16

35.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.20 $3.20

8.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.47 $2.47

-39.68%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$73.4 $73.4

-43.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.99 $2.99

-8.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.09 $2.09

-20.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$28.38 $28.38

24.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.55 $1.55

-38.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.0K $37.0K

-2.57%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.6K $25.6K

5.61%

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

$229 $229

$256 $256

-10.62%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$73.9 $73.9

-19.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$84.4 $84.4

-17.17%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$72.9 $72.9

-21.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.09 $24.09

-32.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$20.21 $20.21

-29.34%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,968 $1,968

-23.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-40.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$68.4 $68.4

-22.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$54.7 $54.7

-19.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$114 $114

-25.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$146 $146

-29.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$3,210 $3,210

-40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,410 $2,410

-47.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$5,499 $5,499

-33.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$4,336 $4,336

-41.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$8,110 $8,110

-6.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$6,682 $6,682

-52.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,975 $4,975

2.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.7

1.34%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Diego, 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%

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1% 89.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7% 17.5% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2% 15.7% $56

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7% 11.6% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2% 34.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8% 32% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4% 64.8% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $3,210 in San Diego, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $98.0 in San Diego, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $475 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🕒 Local time

20:03 8:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,386,932

💱 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 San Diego, CA 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in San Diego, 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 3% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $3,210 in San Diego, 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 $4,077 in San Diego, CA – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 76% less than in San Diego, 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 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and San Diego, 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 53% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.