Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 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
211

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,325

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Cruz, CA $4,325

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $6,239 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Cruz, CA $6,239

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $8,152 in Santa Cruz, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Cruz, CA $8,152

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 38% less than in Santa Cruz, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Santa Cruz, CA 220% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$24.97 $24.97

-16.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$100 $100

-15.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.15 $15.15

-18.68%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.71 $5.71

-1.40%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.42 $3.42

8.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.30 $2.30

8.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.84 $7.84

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.11 $8.11

11.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.39 $1.39

-19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.73 $4.73

-20.72%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$7.80 $7.80

-58.21%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$6.16 $6.16

-32.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$26.59 $26.59

-51.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$16.85 $16.85

-15.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.71 $17.71

-8.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$7.96 $7.96

-45.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.31 $2.31

-36.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$8.36 $8.36

-46.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.73 $6.73

-35.51%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$4.38 $4.38

-41.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.99 $2.99

-21.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$4.98 $4.98

-64.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.98 $2.98

-25.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.72 $11.72

-15.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$24.52 $24.52

-38.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.16 $2.16

35.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.24 $3.24

6.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.99 $1.99

-25.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$64.4 $64.4

-35.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.15 $3.15

-13.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.43 $2.43

-31.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$40.55 $40.55

-12.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 $1.54

-38.31%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.5K $37.5K

-3.98%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.8K $25.8K

5.02%

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

$229 $229

$377 $377

-39.23%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$58.9 $58.9

0.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$67.0 $67.0

4.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$79.3 $79.3

-27.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.55 $12.55

30.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.76 $15.76

-9.39%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,455 $2,455

-38.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$29.4K $29.4K

-27.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$66.9 $66.9

-21.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.92 $48.92

-10.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$90.7 $90.7

-6.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$160 $160

-35.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$3,054 $3,054

-37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,471 $2,471

-48.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,807 $4,807

-23.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$4,164 $4,164

-39.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$7,919 $7,919

-3.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$11.3K $11.3K

-71.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,511 $5,511

-7.08%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.47

4.95%

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 Cruz, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.1% 94% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Cruz, CA

$596 13.8% 47.3% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Cruz, CA

$503 11.6% 40.3% $144

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Cruz, CA

$392 9.1% 10.8% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Cruz, CA

$165 3.8% 28.8% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Cruz, CA

$111 2.6% 29.1% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2% 49.4% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays 8% 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 $100 in Santa Cruz, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $596 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🕒 Local time

15:59 3:59 PM

13:59 1:59 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

64,220

💱 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 Cruz, CA 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Santa Cruz, 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 8% lower in Santa Cruz, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Santa Cruz, 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 $2,663 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 62% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.