Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Francisco

For one person, living is cheaper in San Francisco: $1,672 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
81

Cost of Living Index in San Francisco
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San Francisco Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

San Francisco

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,672

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Francisco actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,672 in San Francisco.

Austin, TX $2,663
San Francisco $1,672

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,668 in San Francisco.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Francisco $2,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,664 in San Francisco.

Austin, TX $5,603
San Francisco $3,664

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 59% more expensive than in San Francisco, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, San Francisco 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.08 ₡4,520

106.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$61.8 ₡27.7K

36.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.03 ₡4,947

11.70%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.33 ₡1,941

30.02%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.30 ₡582

186.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.81 ₡810

38.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.35 ₡1,504

140.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.31 ₡1,932

109.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.32 ₡1,039

-51.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.03 ₡1,360

23.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.44 ₡1,095

33.61%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.51 ₡1,575

18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.83 ₡4,859

19.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.43 ₡4,677

35.76%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.81 ₡6,192

17.45%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.00 ₡2,241

-13.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.64 ₡735

-10.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.85 ₡2,177

-7.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.96 ₡1,777

9.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.75 ₡1,683

-31.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.59 ₡1,609

-34.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.08 ₡483

64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.20 ₡1,435

-30.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.80 ₡2,601

70.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$20.33 ₡9,119

-25.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.81 ₡1,262

3.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.66 ₡1,642

-5.46%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.34 ₡602

11.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$65.2 ₡29.3K

-36.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.78 ₡800

53.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.63 ₡732

1.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.91 ₡3,994

296.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 ₡667

-36.24%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.0K ₡9.9M

64.02%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.0K ₡15.7M

-22.71%

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

$229 $229

$76.3 ₡34.2K

200.12%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$33.48 ₡15.0K

77.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$48.18 ₡21.6K

45.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$74.2 ₡33.3K

-22.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.52 ₡3,373

89.89%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$973 ₡436.4K

54.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.8K ₡7.5M

27.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$71.1 ₡31.9K

-25.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$55.2 ₡24.8K

-20.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$66.7 ₡29.9K

27.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$53.8 ₡24.1K

91.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$808 ₡362.4K

136.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$629 ₡282.0K

102.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,914 ₡858.5K

91.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,267 ₡568.0K

100.41%

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

$892 ₡400.1K

473.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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 Francisco: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

San Francisco

$629 37.6% 50.6% $645

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

San Francisco

$401 24% 1% $4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

San Francisco

$158 9.5% 55.9% $200

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

San Francisco

$203 12.2% 42.5% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

San Francisco

$111 6.6% 13.2% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

San Francisco

$89 5.3% 4% $3.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

San Francisco

$81 4.8% 37.2% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $808 in San Francisco. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 474% 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 $62.0 in San Francisco for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $401 per month, with San Francisco cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 San Francisco

🕒 Local time

08:19 8:19 AM

07:19 7:19 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

55,923

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX San Francisco 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Francisco

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 Francisco: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Francisco wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Francisco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 474% 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 $808 in San Francisco. 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 $1,672 in San Francisco – a 59% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Francisco runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,672 in San Francisco versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Francisco but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Francisco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Francisco 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 Francisco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.