Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,251 in San Ramon, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in San Ramon, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
156

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

San Ramon, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,251

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,251 in San Ramon, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
San Ramon, CA $3,251

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,965 in San Ramon, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
San Ramon, CA $2,965

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,680 in San Ramon, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
San Ramon, CA $2,680

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 17% less than in San Ramon, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, San Ramon, CA 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.22 $19.22

7.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.8 $50.8

66.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.87 $10.87

11.04%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.36 $5.36

2.24%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.03 $3.03

25.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.54 $2.54

-2.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.19 $9.19

-12.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.89 $7.89

12.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.32 $1.32

-15.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.17 $4.17

-10.79%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.87 $4.87

-30.80%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.89 $3.89

11.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$24.97 $24.97

-47.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.84 $11.84

19.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.29 $13.29

22.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.40 $5.40

-15.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.22 $3.22

-54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.79 $4.79

-1.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.87 $5.87

-29.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.35 $3.35

-22.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.99 $3.99

-41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.96 $2.96

-40.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.65 $2.65

-19.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.57 $11.57

-12.71%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.93 $12.93

17.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.07 $2.07

36.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.53 $2.53

35.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.06 $4.06

-31.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$5.12 $5.12

-68.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.23 $1.23

-23.58%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$28.1K $28.1K

20.79%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

-1.59%

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

$223 $223

$140 $140

59.14%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$39.37 $39.37

49.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$63.5 $63.5

11.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$20.11 $20.11

186.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$16.77 $16.77

-14.97%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,796 $1,796

-15.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$24.3K $24.3K

-14.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$49.41 $49.41

3.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$39.41 $39.41

12.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$99.6 $99.6

-12.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$61.0 $61.0

71.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,375 $2,375

-18.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,016 $2,016

-34.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,946 $2,946

24.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$9,337 $9,337

-43.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.69

1.49%

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 Ramon, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

San Ramon, CA

$2K 62% 53.2% $700

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

San Ramon, CA

$462 14.2% 13.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

San Ramon, CA

$243 7.5% 31.1% $109

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

San Ramon, CA

$335 10.3% 4.4% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

San Ramon, CA

$112 3.5% 13% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

San Ramon, CA

$54 1.7% 37.8% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

San Ramon, CA

$30 * 0.9% 48.8% $28

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 $2,375 in San Ramon, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Ramon, CA pays 77% 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 $51.0 in San Ramon, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $462, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Ramon, CA

🕒 Local time

00:22 12:22 AM

22:22 10:22 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

75,995

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Ramon, CA 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in San Ramon, 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 77% lower in San Ramon, CA. 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,375 in San Ramon, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,796 in San Ramon, 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 $85.0 versus $51.0 in San Ramon, 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and San Ramon, 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 21% less than in San Ramon, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.