Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Dimas, CA: $2,463 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

San Dimas, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,463

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,463 in San Dimas, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
San Dimas, CA $2,463

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,607 in San Dimas, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
San Dimas, CA $3,607

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,750 in San Dimas, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
San Dimas, CA $4,750

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, San Dimas, CA 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.90 $11.90

73.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.37 $49.37

71.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.88 $8.88

35.92%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.85 $5.85

-6.32%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.52 $3.52

7.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.46 $2.46

0.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.59 $7.59

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$8.21 $8.21

8.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.09 $1.09

1.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.07 $4.07

-8.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.80 $4.80

-29.79%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.61 $4.61

-6.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.96 $12.96

1.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$20.43 $20.43

-30.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.16 $15.16

7.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.91 $4.91

-7.33%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.68 $1.68

-13.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.53 $5.53

-14.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.85 $5.85

-29.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.76 $3.76

-31.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.22 $2.22

5.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.99 $1.99

-11.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.84 $1.84

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.65 $11.65

-13.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.16 $15.16

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.99 $1.99

41.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.24 $4.24

-18.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.70 $1.70

-9.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$6.15 $6.15

-54.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.77 $1.77

-9.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$26.08 $26.08

31.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.56 $1.56

-39.74%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.9K $28.9K

17.53%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.19%

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

$223 $223

$167 $167

33.64%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$67.9 $67.9

-13.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$59.7 $59.7

18.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.86 $41.86

37.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.89 $14.89

-4.23%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,935 $1,935

-21.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$26.1K $26.1K

-19.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$57.6 $57.6

-10.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.34 $39.34

12.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$93.9 $93.9

-7.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$146 $146

-28.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,616 $1,616

20.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,197 $1,197

9.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,554 $2,554

43.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,036 $2,036

26.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,691 $2,691

173.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,449 $2,449

27.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,063 $4,063

30.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.39

6.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

San Dimas, CA

$1.2K 48.6% 9% $119

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

San Dimas, CA

$456 18.5% 12.4% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

San Dimas, CA

$294 11.9% 16.5% $58

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

San Dimas, CA

$270 11% 22.8% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

San Dimas, CA

$152 6.2% 17.5% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

San Dimas, CA

$72 2.9% 16.9% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

San Dimas, CA

$22 * 0.9% 62.4% $36

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,616 in San Dimas, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% 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 $49.00 in San Dimas, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $456, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA

🕒 Local time

14:57 2:57 PM

12:57 12:57 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

35,714

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX San Dimas, CA 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San Dimas, 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 San Dimas, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,616 in San Dimas, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,935 in San Dimas, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Dimas, CA – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Dimas, CA 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 San Dimas, 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 San Dimas, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.