Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Luis Obispo, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
161

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Obispo, CA
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San Luis Obispo, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,315

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
San Luis Obispo, CA $3,315

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,816 in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
San Luis Obispo, CA $4,816

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,317 in San Luis Obispo, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
San Luis Obispo, CA $6,317

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in San Luis Obispo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, San Luis Obispo, CA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$23.68 $23.68

-14.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$60.1 $60.1

40.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.82 $12.82

-5.46%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.37 $6.37

-11.30%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.85 $2.85

29.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.50 $2.50

-5.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.09 $8.09

-2.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.91 $7.91

11.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.16 $1.16

-1.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.46 $4.46

-17.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$5.40 $5.40

-38.70%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.65 $4.65

-10.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$15.61 $15.61

-16.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$8.89 $8.89

55.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.50 $15.50

5.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.81 $3.81

23.10%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.99 $1.99

-27.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.27 $3.27

56.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$3.25 $3.25

39.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.90 $2.90

6.21%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.81 $2.81

-15.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.16 $2.16

-16.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.04 $2.04

8.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.65 $11.65

-14.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$17.25 $17.25

-12.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.84 $1.84

58.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.15 $3.15

5.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.73 $1.73

-29.48%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$59.2 $59.2

-31.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$6.52 $6.52

-57.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.75 $2.75

-40.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$37.93 $37.93

-6.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 $1.44

-34.03%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$30.9K $30.9K

10.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.2K $26.2K

2.18%

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

$223 $223

$251 $251

-11.15%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$54.0 $54.0

8.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$67.9 $67.9

4.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.67 $32.67

62.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$49.73 $49.73

-66.32%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.28 $12.28

14.50%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,312 $2,312

-36.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$33.6K $33.6K

-36.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$65.9 $65.9

-20.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$49.81 $49.81

-14.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$108 $108

-20.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$99.7 $99.7

4.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,431 $2,431

-13.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,879 $1,879

-34.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,313 $4,313

-10.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,264 $3,264

-26.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$7,432 $7,432

-0.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$5,995 $5,995

-48.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,519 $5,519

-6.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.26

8.95%

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 Luis Obispo, CA: 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 Luis Obispo, CA

$1.9K 56.7% 52.7% $648

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$392 11.8% 4.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$373 11.3% 5.7% $20

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$382 11.5% 9.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$146 4.4% 13.4% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$57 1.7% 29.5% $24

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

San Luis Obispo, CA

$86 2.6% 53.1% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,431 in San Luis Obispo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis Obispo, CA pays 7% 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 in Austin, TX vs $60 in San Luis Obispo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $392 per month, with San Luis Obispo, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🕒 Local time

05:42 5:42 AM

03:42 3:42 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

47,339

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX San Luis Obispo, CA 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in San Luis Obispo, 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 6% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,431 in San Luis Obispo, CA. 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 $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA – Austin, TX is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in San Luis Obispo, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, San Luis Obispo, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.