Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Rosa

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Rosa: $625 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,500 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
30

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa
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Santa Rosa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Rosa

🇵🇭 Philippines

$625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $625 in Santa Rosa.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Rosa $625

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $887 in Santa Rosa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Rosa $887

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,149 in Santa Rosa.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Rosa $1,149

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 326% more expensive than in Santa Rosa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Santa Rosa is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.54 ₱160

717.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.82 ₱1,059

402.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$2.82 ₱177

336.88%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.13 ₱71.3

398.23%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.37 ₱23.13

905.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.23 ₱14.46

986.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.99 ₱62.1

713.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.23 ₱77.6

632.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.67 ₱105

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.12 ₱70.8

234.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.94 ₱59.3

246.81%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.64 ₱103

154.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.20 ₱327

148.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.45 ₱217

310.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.08 ₱509

100.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.23 ₱140

94.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.77 ₱48.43

89.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.36 ₱149

91.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.03 ₱64.6

321.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.67 ₱105

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.71 ₱108

37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.63 ₱39.36

182.54%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.49 ₱31.09

353.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.88 ₱181

243.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.70 ₱548

73.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.96 ₱60.2

204.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.02 ₱127

71.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.25 ₱15.53

496.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.68 ₱798

229.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.81 ₱51.2

237.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.25 ₱15.86

564.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.88 ₱119

1777.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.99 ₱62.6

-4.04%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K ₱1.3M

69.96%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.5K ₱1.2M

38.74%

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

$229 $229

$64.7 ₱4,071

254.14%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.25 ₱394

850.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$23.10 ₱1,454

202.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$32.29 ₱2,033

77.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$4.27 ₱269

282.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.33 ₱336

167.92%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$130 ₱8,197

1056.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,510 ₱346.9K

289.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$28.54 ₱1,797

85.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$19.66 ₱1,238

122.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$71.6 ₱4,510

18.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$56.2 ₱3,536

83.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$271 ₱17.1K

604.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$172 ₱10.8K

641.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$526 ₱33.1K

596.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$172 ₱10.9K

1371.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,054 ₱129.3K

270.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,115 ₱70.2K

183.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$144 ₱9,088

3447.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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 Rosa: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Santa Rosa

$172 27.5% 86.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Rosa

$169 27% 58.3% $236

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Rosa

$94 15.1% 73.8% $264

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Rosa

$52 8.4% 85.3% $302

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Rosa

$79 12.7% 38.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Rosa

$43 6.9% 49.9% $43

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Rosa

$16 2.5% 73.2% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $271 in Santa Rosa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 3447% 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 $17.00 in Santa Rosa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $169 per month, with Santa Rosa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Santa Rosa

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

07:46 7:46 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

414,812

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.78 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Rosa 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Rosa

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Rosa wins on cost – living expenses run 326% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Rosa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3447% 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 $271 in Santa Rosa. 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 $625 in Santa Rosa – a 326% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Rosa runs roughly 229% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $625 in Santa Rosa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Rosa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Rosa 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Santa Rosa 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 Rosa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 326% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.