Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Anna, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Santa Anna, TX: $2,698 and $2,579 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Santa Anna, TX
Learn more

Santa Anna, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Santa Anna, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,579

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,579 in Santa Anna, TX.

Austin, TX $2,698
Santa Anna, TX $2,579

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,763 in Santa Anna, TX.

Austin, TX $4,160
Santa Anna, TX $3,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,948 in Santa Anna, TX.

Austin, TX $5,622
Santa Anna, TX $4,948

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Santa Anna, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Santa Anna, TX 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$21.09 $21.09

-2.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.4 $82.4

2.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.10 $12.10

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.20 $5.20

5.38%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.36 $2.36

61.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.06 $2.06

19.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.58 $5.58

44.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.28 $6.28

41.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.05 $1.05

5.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.63 $3.63

2.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.43 $4.43

-23.93%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.27 $4.27

1.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.07 $12.07

8.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.42 $11.42

23.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.22 $17.22

-5.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.62 $4.62

-1.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 $1.45

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.69 $3.69

27.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.84 $4.84

-14.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.76 $2.76

-6.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.90 $2.90

-18.97%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.17 $2.17

-18.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.21 $2.21

-3.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.02 $10.02

0.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$14.65 $14.65

3.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.92 $1.92

46.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.34 $3.34

2.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.09 $2.09

-26.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.50 $3.50

-20.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.99 $1.99

-19.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.03 $31.03

10.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.97 $0.97

-3.09%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$31.1K $31.1K

9.21%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.27%

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

$223 $223

$200 $200

11.36%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$58.5 $58.5

0.72%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$69.2 $69.2

2.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.34 $41.34

39.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.24 $14.24

0.14%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,373 $1,373

10.07%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$23.9K $23.9K

-12.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$48.26 $48.26

6.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$38.93 $38.93

13.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$85.8 $85.8

1.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$109 $109

-4.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,578 $1,578

22.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,315 $1,315

0.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,463 $2,463

48.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,121 $2,121

20.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,447 $2,447

200.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,181 $2,181

43.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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 Anna, TX: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Santa Anna, TX

$1.3K 51% 0.1% $1.7

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Santa Anna, TX

$392 15.2% 3.4% $14

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Santa Anna, TX

$328 12.7% 7% $25

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Santa Anna, TX

$326 12.6% 7% $25

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Santa Anna, TX

$127 4.9% 1.5% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Anna, TX

$70 2.7% 19% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Santa Anna, TX

$22 * 0.9% 62.4% $36

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 $1,578 in Santa Anna, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $82.0 in Santa Anna, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $392 per month, with Santa Anna, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Santa Anna, TX

🕒 Local time

04:33 4:33 AM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,000

💱 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 Santa Anna, TX 220 km

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Anna, TX

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 Anna, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Anna, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Anna, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $3,868 in Santa Anna, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,578 in Santa Anna, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,373 in Santa Anna, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Anna, TX – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Santa Anna, 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 Santa Anna, TX 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 Santa Anna, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.