Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $2,864 in Vallejo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $2,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Vallejo, CA
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Vallejo, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Vallejo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,848 in Vallejo, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
Vallejo, CA $2,848

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,661 in Vallejo, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
Vallejo, CA $4,661

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,474 in Vallejo, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
Vallejo, CA $6,474

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 6% less than in Vallejo, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Vallejo, CA 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$27.14 $27.14

-23.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$91.1 $91.1

-7.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.92 $11.92

1.26%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.75 $4.75

15.37%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.80 $2.80

35.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.77 $2.77

-10.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.80 $7.80

3.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.12 $9.12

-2.63%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.41 $1.41

-21.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$4.49 $4.49

-17.15%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.05 $4.05

-16.79%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.04 $5.04

-14.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$19.21 $19.21

-31.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$14.11 $14.11

0.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.55 $14.55

12.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.35 $4.35

4.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.12 $2.12

-31.13%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$5.44 $5.44

-13.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.72 $6.72

-38.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.93 $3.93

-34.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.63 $3.63

-35.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.94 $2.94

-39.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.02 $2.02

5.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$9.90 $9.90

2.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$10.02 $10.02

51.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.69 $1.69

66.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.13 $2.13

61.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$5.06 $5.06

-69.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$70.6 $70.6

-41.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$4.08 $4.08

-31.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.89 $1.89

-15.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$28.40 $28.40

20.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.36 $1.36

-30.88%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.9K $27.9K

21.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.29%

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

$223 $223

$139 $139

60.05%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$48.45 $48.45

21.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.4 $71.4

-1.18%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$37.60 $37.60

53.46%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$10.67 $10.67

54.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.84 $12.84

11.06%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$709 $709

113.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,966 $7,966

162.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$42.01 $42.01

22.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$36.83 $36.83

19.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$85.3 $85.3

2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$78.3 $78.3

33.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,595 $1,595

21.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,494 $1,494

-11.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,191 $3,191

14.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,265 $3,265

-21.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,666 $3,666

100.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,728 $3,728

-16.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,323 $4,323

22.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.46

5.11%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Vallejo, CA: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Vallejo, CA

$1.5K 52.2% 13.5% $178

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Vallejo, CA

$445 15.5% 9.6% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Vallejo, CA

$259 9% 26.5% $93

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Vallejo, CA

$389 13.6% 11.2% $39

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Vallejo, CA

$109 3.8% 15.5% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Vallejo, CA

$63 2.2% 26.6% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Vallejo, CA

$104 3.6% 80.2% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,654 in Vallejo, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 20% 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 $90.0 in Vallejo, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $445 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Vallejo, CA

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

02:55 2:55 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

121,692

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Vallejo, CA 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Vallejo, 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 20% 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 $1,654 in Vallejo, CA. 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 $2,848 in Vallejo, CA – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 71% less than in Vallejo, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching 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 7% less than in Vallejo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.