Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Ana, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,474 in Santa Ana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 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
170

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana, CA
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Santa Ana, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,474

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,474 in Santa Ana, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Santa Ana, CA $3,474

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $5,054 in Santa Ana, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Santa Ana, CA $5,054

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $6,635 in Santa Ana, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Santa Ana, CA $6,635

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 22% less than in Santa Ana, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Santa Ana, CA 156% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$22.65 $22.65

-8.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$81.4 $81.4

3.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$16.64 $16.64

-27.46%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.92 $5.92

-7.43%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.02 $3.02

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.39 $2.39

3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.35 $7.35

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.71 $9.71

-8.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.04 $1.04

6.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.03 $4.03

-7.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.67 $4.67

-27.84%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.79 $5.79

-25.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.90 $12.90

1.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$17.06 $17.06

-17.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$21.14 $21.14

-22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.93 $4.93

-7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.67 $1.67

-12.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.10 $4.10

14.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$5.73 $5.73

-27.57%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.72 $3.72

-30.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.18 $3.18

-26.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.10 $2.10

-15.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.84 $1.84

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.69 $11.69

-13.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.88 $14.88

2.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.50 $2.50

12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.06 $4.06

-15.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.98 $1.98

-22.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$69.0 $69.0

-40.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$6.31 $6.31

-55.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$4.84 $4.84

-66.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$48.18 $48.18

-28.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.51 $1.51

-37.75%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$29.3K $29.3K

15.81%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.9K $26.9K

-0.63%

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

$223 $223

$173 $173

28.34%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$67.7 $67.7

-12.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$73.8 $73.8

-4.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$56.7 $56.7

1.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$44.05 $44.05

-62.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$15.40 $15.40

-7.40%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,202 $1,202

25.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$62.5 $62.5

-17.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$42.17 $42.17

4.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$106 $106

-18.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$145 $145

-28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,617 $2,617

-25.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,965 $1,965

-33.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,217 $3,217

13.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,227 $3,227

-20.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$4,596 $4,596

60.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$4,226 $4,226

-25.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,286 $3,286

60.90%

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 Santa Ana, CA: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Santa Ana, CA

$2K 56.6% 49.3% $649

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Santa Ana, CA

$458 13.2% 12.8% $52

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Santa Ana, CA

$315 9.1% 10.6% $37

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Santa Ana, CA

$380 10.9% 8.6% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Santa Ana, CA

$160 4.6% 24.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Ana, CA

$87 2.5% 1.4% $1.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Santa Ana, CA

$107 3.1% 85.5% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,617 in Santa Ana, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 61% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $81.0 in Santa Ana, CA. Groceries flip the comparison at $406 vs $458, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Santa Ana, CA

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

04:38 4:38 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

335,400

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Ana, CA 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Ana, 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 Santa Ana, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Santa Ana, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% 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 $2,617 in Santa Ana, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,474 in Santa Ana, CA – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 68% less than in Santa Ana, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Santa Ana, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.