Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Simi Valley, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,291 in Simi Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Simi Valley, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
162

Cost of Living Index in Simi Valley, CA
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Simi Valley, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Simi Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,291

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,291 in Simi Valley, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Simi Valley, CA $3,291

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,712 in Simi Valley, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Simi Valley, CA $4,712

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,133 in Simi Valley, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Simi Valley, CA $6,133

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 19% less than in Simi Valley, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Simi Valley, CA 144% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$23.12 $23.12

-10.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$70.0 $70.0

20.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.59 $11.59

6.30%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.29 $5.29

6.43%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.05 $2.05

81.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.97 $1.97

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.35 $7.35

9.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.04 $6.04

49.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.16 $1.16

-3.45%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.44 $2.44

53.69%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.47 $4.47

-27.07%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.57 $4.57

-8.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.32 $12.32

4.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.20 $11.20

26.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.95 $13.95

16.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.89 $3.89

11.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.78 $1.78

-17.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.73 $3.73

20.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$6.65 $6.65

-34.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.61 $2.61

-1.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.45 $3.45

-31.88%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.03 $2.03

-12.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.29 $2.29

-3.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.68 $11.68

-15.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.06 $12.06

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.78 $1.78

64.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.13 $3.13

10.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.79 $1.79

-16.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.44 $4.44

-38.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.81 $1.81

-8.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$35.72 $35.72

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.32 $1.32

-28.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.4K $36.4K

-0.99%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.5K $25.5K

5.96%

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

$229 $229

$211 $211

8.50%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$62.5 $62.5

-5.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.0 $69.0

1.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$30.23 $30.23

89.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.96 $11.96

19.40%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,196 $1,196

25.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$43.0K $43.0K

-50.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$75.1 $75.1

-29.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.02 $40.02

9.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$81.0 $81.0

4.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$171 $171

-39.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,071 $2,071

-7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,986 $1,986

-35.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,450 $2,450

49.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$3,287 $3,287

-22.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,023 $5,023

1.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.64

2.26%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Simi Valley, CA: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Simi Valley, CA

$2K 60.3% 55.9% $712

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Simi Valley, CA

$375 11.4% 7.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Simi Valley, CA

$343 10.4% 4.4% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Simi Valley, CA

$348 10.6% 1.7% $5.9

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Simi Valley, CA

$165 5% 29% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Simi Valley, CA

$54 1.7% 36.9% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Simi Valley, CA

$21 * 0.6% 64.8% $38

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 $2,071 in Simi Valley, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2% 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 $70.0 in Simi Valley, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $375 per month, with Simi Valley, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Simi Valley, CA

🕒 Local time

15:30 3:30 PM

13:30 1:30 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

121,288

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Simi Valley, CA 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Simi Valley, 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 Simi Valley, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Simi Valley, 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 2% 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 $2,071 in Simi Valley, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,196 in Simi Valley, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $70.0 in Simi Valley, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Simi Valley, CA 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Simi Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.