Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Maria, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
142

Cost of Living Index in Santa Maria, CA
Learn more

Santa Maria, CA Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Maria, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,899

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Maria, CA $2,899

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,163 in Santa Maria, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Maria, CA $4,163

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $5,427 in Santa Maria, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Maria, CA $5,427

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 8% less than in Santa Maria, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Santa Maria, CA 115% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.21 $13.21

57.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.6 $59.6

41.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.84 $9.84

25.20%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.07 $6.07

-7.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.44 $3.44

8.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.96 $1.96

27.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.52 $7.52

7.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.38 $9.38

-3.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.06 $1.06

5.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.12 $4.12

-8.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.85 $4.85

-32.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.79 $4.79

-12.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.83 $8.83

46.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.52 $7.52

88.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.55 $13.55

19.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.33 $1.33

225.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.43 $1.43

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.55 $2.55

76.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.27 $3.27

32.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.92 $1.92

34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.08 $1.08

117.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.97 $1.97

-9.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.85 $1.85

20.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.50 $11.50

-14.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.15 $15.15

-0.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.94 $1.94

50.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.29 $4.29

-19.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.04 $2.04

-26.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$49.55 $49.55

-15.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.20 $6.20

-55.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.30 $1.30

-26.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.7K $36.7K

-1.66%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.9K $26.9K

0.67%

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

$229 $229

$162 $162

41.45%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$68.5 $68.5

-13.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$60.4 $60.4

15.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$29.38 $29.38

94.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.90 $14.90

-4.16%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,888 $1,888

-20.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$46.77 $46.77

12.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.74 $39.74

10.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$93.7 $93.7

-9.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$125 $125

-17.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,199 $2,199

-13.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,738 $1,738

-26.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,497 $3,497

4.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,928 $2,928

-13.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$8,572 $8,572

-11.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$8,442 $8,442

-62.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,231 $4,231

21.02%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Maria, CA: 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 Maria, CA

$1.7K 60% 36.4% $464

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Maria, CA

$323 11.2% 20.1% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Maria, CA

$291 10% 18.8% $68

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Maria, CA

$286 9.9% 19.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Maria, CA

$137 4.7% 7.2% $9.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Maria, CA

$59 2% 31% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Maria, CA

$64 * 2.2% 8.9% $5.2

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 $2,199 in Santa Maria, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% 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 $60.0 in Santa Maria, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $323 per month, with Santa Maria, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Santa Maria, CA

🕒 Local time

23:19 11:19 PM

21:19 9:19 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

107,408

💱 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 Maria, CA 2,180 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Santa Maria, 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 21% 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 $2,199 in Santa Maria, 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 $2,899 in Santa Maria, CA – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 19% less than in Santa Maria, 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 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Santa Maria, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.