Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Ana

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Ana: $1,026 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
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Santa Ana Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Ana

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,026

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Santa Ana

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,026 in Santa Ana.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Ana $1,026

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,625 in Santa Ana.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Ana $1,625

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,225 in Santa Ana.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Ana $2,225

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 160% more expensive than in Santa Ana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Santa Ana is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.80 $6.80

205.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$44.56 $44.56

89.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.93 $6.93

77.78%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.64 $3.64

54.67%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.17 $1.17

217.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.82 $0.82

204.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.05 $2.05

292.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.46 $3.46

160.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.80 $1.80

-37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.86 $2.86

31.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.39 $1.39

134.53%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.97 $2.97

40.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.49 $7.49

72.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.00 $7.00

102.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.29 $10.29

57.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.02 $5.02

-13.75%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.38 $1.38

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.68 $2.68

68.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.55 $3.55

22.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.98 $2.98

-13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.23 $3.23

-27.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.01 $1.01

76.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.99 $0.99

124.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.96 $3.96

149.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.77 $11.77

28.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.17 $2.17

34.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.98 $2.98

16.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 $0.29

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.96 $5.96

-54.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.94 $2.94

-43.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$19.64 $19.64

79.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.8K $22.8K

58.06%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.18%

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

$229 $229

$40.10 $40.10

471.05%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$20.97 $20.97

183.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$38.73 $38.73

80.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$34.57 $34.57

65.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.97 $4.97

187.32%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$162 $162

826.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,797 $4,797

347.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$67.5 $67.5

-21.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.93 $46.93

-6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$120 $120

-29.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$117 $117

-12.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$640 $640

197.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$271 $271

369.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,019 $1,019

259.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$448 $448

466.98%

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

$457 $457

1021.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

CityCost data is based on AI and user input – minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Ana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Santa Ana

$271 26.4% 78.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Ana

$286 27.9% 29.3% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Ana

$100 9.7% 72.1% $258

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Ana

$144 14% 59.3% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Ana

$158 15.5% 23.8% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Ana

$45 4.3% 48.1% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Ana

$22 * 2.1% 62.9% $37

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $640 in Santa Ana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1021% 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 $45.00 in Santa Ana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $286 per month, with Santa Ana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇻 Santa Ana

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

14:59 2:59 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

167,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Ana 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Ana

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Ana wins on cost – living expenses run 160% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Ana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1021% 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 $640 in Santa Ana. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $162 in Santa Ana. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Ana – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,026 in Santa Ana versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Ana but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Ana 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.

Expats usually find Santa Ana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 160% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.