Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 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
219

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,547

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $4,547 in San Rafael, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
San Rafael, CA $4,547

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $6,255 in San Rafael, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
San Rafael, CA $6,255

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $7,963 in San Rafael, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
San Rafael, CA $7,963

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 43% less than in San Rafael, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, San Rafael, CA 234% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.37 $25.37

-19.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$122 $122

-30.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.67 $11.67

3.86%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.80 $4.80

17.71%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.95 $2.95

24.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.93 $2.93

-19.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.64 $5.64

39.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.97 $6.97

26.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.50 $1.50

-24.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.59 $4.59

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$9.70 $9.70

-65.88%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.44 $5.44

-23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$22.82 $22.82

-43.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.29 $15.29

-9.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.54 $18.54

-11.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$7.29 $7.29

-35.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.95 $2.95

-50.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.66 $6.66

-23.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$8.36 $8.36

-45.93%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$5.86 $5.86

-47.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$5.65 $5.65

-57.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.14 $3.14

-42.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.99 $3.99

-44.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.42 $11.42

-12.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$12.78 $12.78

17.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.23 $2.23

30.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.99 $2.99

11.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$2.05 $2.05

-40.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$40.37 $40.37

0.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.01 $4.01

-30.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$4.39 $4.39

-62.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.55 $29.55

19.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.40 $1.40

-32.14%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.4K $29.4K

16.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.3K $26.3K

1.83%

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

$223 $223

$251 $251

-11.28%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$85.1 $85.1

-31.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$61.7 $61.7

15.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$124 $124

-57.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$29.91 $29.91

-44.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.93 $12.93

8.74%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,091 $2,091

-30.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$24.1K $24.1K

-11.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$60.9 $60.9

-13.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$42.54 $42.54

0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$96.5 $96.5

-10.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$130 $130

-20.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,814 $2,814

-24.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$2,838 $2,838

-56.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$4,116 $4,116

-6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,993 $3,993

-39.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$8,383 $8,383

-11.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$5,743 $5,743

-46.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$6,930 $6,930

-25.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.62

3.02%

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 Rafael, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

San Rafael, CA

$2.8K 62.4% 131% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

San Rafael, CA

$577 12.7% 40.7% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

San Rafael, CA

$398 8.8% 12.9% $45

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

San Rafael, CA

$361 7.9% 3.8% $13

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

San Rafael, CA

$149 3.3% 15.7% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.3% 84.5% $69

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

San Rafael, CA

$75 1.6% 32.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,814 in San Rafael, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 34% 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 $122 in San Rafael, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $577 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

20:09 8:09 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

58,704

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Rafael, CA 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in San Rafael, 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 25% 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 $2,814 in San Rafael, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $2,091 in San Rafael, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $122 in San Rafael, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Rafael, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.