Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Walnut Creek, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,689 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 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
179

Cost of Living Index in Walnut Creek, CA
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Walnut Creek, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $3,689 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Austin, TX $2,698
Walnut Creek, CA $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $5,385 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Austin, TX $4,160
Walnut Creek, CA $5,385

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $7,081 in Walnut Creek, CA.

Austin, TX $5,622
Walnut Creek, CA $7,081

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 27% less than in Walnut Creek, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Walnut Creek, CA 172% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$20.40 $20.40

1.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$89.0 $89.0

-4.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$14.96 $14.96

-19.32%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.28 $5.28

3.79%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$3.02 $3.02

25.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.39 $2.39

3.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.84 $7.84

2.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.91 $7.91

12.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.39 $1.39

-20.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.85 $3.85

-3.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.41 $3.41

-1.17%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$5.41 $5.41

-20.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$26.02 $26.02

-49.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$18.03 $18.03

-21.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.37 $22.37

-27.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$8.08 $8.08

-43.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.22 $2.22

-34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.35 $3.35

40.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$6.76 $6.76

-38.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.08 $1.08

138.89%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.09 $3.09

-23.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.44 $2.44

-27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.02 $3.02

-29.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.70 $11.70

-13.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$19.98 $19.98

-23.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.75 $1.75

61.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.27 $2.27

51.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$6.26 $6.26

-75.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.16 $3.16

-11.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.44 $2.44

-34.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$40.12 $40.12

-14.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.55 $1.55

-39.35%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.2K $27.2K

24.92%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.5K $26.5K

1.03%

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

$223 $223

$188 $188

18.25%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$75.6 $75.6

-22.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$67.3 $67.3

4.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$85.6 $85.6

-32.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$15.14 $15.14

9.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.70 $14.70

-2.99%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,180 $2,180

-30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$37.7K $37.7K

-44.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$72.3 $72.3

-29.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$61.0 $61.0

-27.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$106 $106

-17.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$203 $203

-48.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$2,382 $2,382

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$2,123 $2,123

-38.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$4,516 $4,516

-18.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$3,520 $3,520

-27.13%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$6,403 $6,403

-51.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$6,843 $6,843

-22.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.58

3.19%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Walnut Creek, CA: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Walnut Creek, CA

$2.1K 57.5% 61.3% $807

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Walnut Creek, CA

$532 14.4% 31.2% $127

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Walnut Creek, CA

$331 9% 6% $21

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Walnut Creek, CA

$348 9.4% 0.6% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Walnut Creek, CA

$199 5.4% 54.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Walnut Creek, CA

$115 3.1% 33.4% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Walnut Creek, CA

$40 * 1.1% 30.2% $18

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $2,382 in Walnut Creek, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Walnut Creek, CA pays 29% 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 $89.0 in Walnut Creek, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $532 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA

🕒 Local time

09:23 9:23 AM

07:23 7:23 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

70,166

💱 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 Walnut Creek, CA 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Walnut Creek, 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 29% lower in Walnut Creek, 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $2,382 in Walnut Creek, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $2,180 in Walnut Creek, 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 $89.0 in Walnut Creek, 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 Walnut Creek, 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 37% less than in Walnut Creek, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.