Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
166

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

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Austin, TX $2,607
Santa Rosa, CA $3,442

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $5,030 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Austin, TX $4,031
Santa Rosa, CA $5,030

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,617 in Santa Rosa, CA.

Austin, TX $5,454
Santa Rosa, CA $6,617

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 24% less than in Santa Rosa, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Santa Rosa, CA 153% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$27.06 $27.06

-24.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$90.5 $90.5

-6.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.15 $12.15

-0.25%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$6.60 $6.60

-14.39%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.22 $3.22

14.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.15 $3.15

-25.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$7.88 $7.88

-0.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$8.92 $8.92

-1.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.37 $1.37

-16.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.59 $4.59

-19.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.75 $4.75

-30.32%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.44 $5.44

-23.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$22.62 $22.62

-42.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$15.25 $15.25

-9.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$20.99 $20.99

-22.15%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$6.10 $6.10

-23.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.50 $2.50

-42.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$6.76 $6.76

-24.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.84 $6.84

-33.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.94 $3.94

-21.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.48 $3.48

-31.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$3.06 $3.06

-41.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.97 $1.97

12.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.74 $11.74

-15.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$11.85 $11.85

27.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.16 $2.16

34.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.07 $2.07

60.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.53 $1.53

-20.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$50.2 $50.2

-19.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.93 $3.93

-29.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.95 $1.95

-15.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$29.43 $29.43

20.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 $1.49

-36.24%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.5K $27.5K

24.35%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.7K $26.7K

0.19%

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

$223 $223

$196 $196

13.85%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$49.40 $49.40

18.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$71.5 $71.5

-0.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$68.2 $68.2

-22.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$13.99 $13.99

19.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$14.27 $14.27

-1.47%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,255 $1,255

16.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$40.0K $40.0K

-46.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$50.5 $50.5

3.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$36.55 $36.55

16.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$105 $105

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$127 $127

-18.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,336 $2,336

-9.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,893 $1,893

-35.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$3,569 $3,569

8.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,100 $3,100

-22.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$5,019 $5,019

47.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$4,908 $4,908

-37.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,740 $4,740

9.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.46

5.57%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55% 53.8% $663

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7% 23.9% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2% 10.2% $36

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1% 19.2% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2% 11.7% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8% 19.2% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2% 24% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $91 in Santa Rosa, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $507 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🕒 Local time

21:19 9:19 PM

19:19 7:19 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

174,972

💱 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 Rosa, CA 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Santa Rosa, 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 9% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA – Austin, TX is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 19% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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 24% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.