Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Thousand Oaks, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 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
187

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Thousand Oaks, CA $3,797

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,248 in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Thousand Oaks, CA $5,248

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,699 in Thousand Oaks, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Thousand Oaks, CA $6,699

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 30% less than in Thousand Oaks, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Thousand Oaks, CA 181% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$25.09 $25.09

-17.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$100.0 $100.0

-15.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.60 $8.60

43.26%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.55 $5.55

1.44%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.82 $2.82

31.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.95 $1.95

28.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.21 $8.21

-1.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$9.72 $9.72

-7.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.14 $1.14

-1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.94 $3.94

-4.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.51 $3.51

-7.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.05 $5.05

-17.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.55 $12.55

2.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$20.24 $20.24

-30.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.88 $21.88

-25.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.38 $5.38

-19.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.80 $1.80

-18.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.73 $4.73

-4.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.92 $5.92

-26.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.71 $3.71

-30.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.85 $2.85

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.62 $1.62

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.16 $10.16

-2.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.81 $14.81

1.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.68 $1.68

73.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.54 $1.54

124.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.38 $4.38

-37.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.81 $1.81

-8.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$35.85 $35.85

-1.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.48 $1.48

-35.81%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$37.1K $37.1K

-2.81%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.1K $26.1K

3.67%

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

$229 $229

$163 $163

40.82%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$48.06 $48.06

23.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.4 $69.4

0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$66.9 $66.9

-14.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.43 $22.43

-27.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.94 $11.94

19.60%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,781 $1,781

-15.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$42.1K $42.1K

-49.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.4 $50.4

4.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.09 $30.09

45.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.2 $79.2

7.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$117 $117

-12.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,607 $2,607

-26.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$2,448 $2,448

-47.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,705 $3,705

-1.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$3,513 $3,513

-27.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,959 $5,959

27.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,896 $5,896

-46.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$5,918 $5,918

-13.46%

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.4K 64.5% 92.2% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$467 12.3% 15.4% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$280 7.4% 21.8% $78

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.8% 5.3% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3% 2.6% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$91 2.4% 5.8% $5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Thousand Oaks, CA

$13 * 0.4% 77.2% $45

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 $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thousand Oaks, CA pays 16% 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 Thousand Oaks, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $467 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🕒 Local time

19:15 7:15 PM

17:15 5:15 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

124,207

💱 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 Thousand Oaks, CA 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Thousand Oaks, 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 Thousand Oaks, CA: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Thousand Oaks, 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 16% lower in Thousand Oaks, 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 $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,781 in Thousand Oaks, 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 $100 in Thousand Oaks, 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 Thousand Oaks, 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 43% less than in Thousand Oaks, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.