Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Upland, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Upland, CA: $2,406 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,400 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Upland, CA
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Upland, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Upland, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,406

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,406 in Upland, CA.

Austin, TX $2,689
Upland, CA $2,406

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,533 in Upland, CA.

Austin, TX $4,112
Upland, CA $3,533

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,661 in Upland, CA.

Austin, TX $5,534
Upland, CA $4,661

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 12% more expensive than in Upland, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Upland, CA 78% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$14.85 $14.85

43.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$71.1 $71.1

23.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.93 $11.93

4.27%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$1.99 $1.99

181.41%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.01 $2.01

81.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.02 $2.02

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.38 $7.38

5.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$9.58 $9.58

-8.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.08 $1.08

3.70%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.22 $2.22

63.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.22 $2.22

57.66%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.67 $4.67

-4.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$8.96 $8.96

47.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$6.75 $6.75

106.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$15.21 $15.21

8.22%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.43 $4.43

6.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.71 $1.71

-12.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.24 $3.24

43.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.93 $5.93

-23.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.23 $2.23

14.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.21 $2.21

8.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.97 $1.97

-6.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.83 $1.83

16.39%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.90 $11.90

-15.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.01 $12.01

23.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.91 $1.91

47.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.28 $1.28

157.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.82 $1.82

-32.42%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$60.3 $60.3

-31.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.16 $3.16

-15.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.84 $1.84

-11.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$35.62 $35.62

-1.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.41 $1.41

-30.50%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$29.3K $29.3K

17.46%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.5K $27.5K

-2.50%

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

$252 $252

$167 $167

51.33%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$67.8 $67.8

-11.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$59.3 $59.3

17.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$44.63 $44.63

35.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$15.36 $15.36

-10.48%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,879 $1,879

-22.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$18.1K $18.1K

46.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$58.0 $58.0

-9.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$39.32 $39.32

16.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$74.7 $74.7

14.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$120 $120

-11.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,562 $1,562

40.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,255 $1,255

1.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,599 $2,599

53.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,102 $2,102

14.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$2,531 $2,531

191.62%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$2,671 $2,671

10.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$5,200 $5,200

-3.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.31

8.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Upland, CA: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Upland, CA

$1.3K 52.2% 1.1% $13

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Upland, CA

$319 13.3% 21.7% $88

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Upland, CA

$294 12.2% 23% $88

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Upland, CA

$251 10.4% 29.6% $105

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Upland, CA

$131 5.5% 0.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Upland, CA

$75 3.1% 14.2% $13

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Upland, CA

$80 3.3% 39.8% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $1,562 in Upland, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Upland, CA pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $71 in Upland, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $319 per month, with Upland, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Upland, CA

🕒 Local time

23:40 11:40 PM

21:40 9:40 PM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

73,379

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Upland, CA 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Upland, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 11% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Upland, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 3% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $1,562 in Upland, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,406 in Upland, CA – Upland, CA is about 11% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 31% less than in Upland, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Upland, CA gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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.