Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and West Hollywood, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,194 in West Hollywood, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 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
155

Cost of Living Index in West Hollywood, CA
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West Hollywood, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

West Hollywood, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,194 in West Hollywood, CA.

Austin, TX $2,663
West Hollywood, CA $3,194

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,191 in West Hollywood, CA.

Austin, TX $4,133
West Hollywood, CA $5,191

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $7,189 in West Hollywood, CA.

Austin, TX $5,603
West Hollywood, CA $7,189

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 17% less than in West Hollywood, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, West Hollywood, CA 137% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$25.18 $25.18

-17.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$100 $100

-15.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$14.99 $14.99

-17.81%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.00 $6.00

-6.17%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 $3.04

22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.40 $2.40

4.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.14 $7.14

12.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$10.16 $10.16

-11.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.33 $1.33

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$4.88 $4.88

-23.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.69 $4.69

-30.49%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.62 $5.62

-25.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.65 $11.65

10.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.54 $8.54

65.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.76 $19.76

-17.91%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.61 $4.61

-6.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.22 $2.22

-34.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.93 $3.93

14.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.55 $5.55

-21.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.42 $3.42

-24.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.92 $2.92

-19.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.92 $1.92

-7.29%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.51 $2.51

-11.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.58 $11.58

-14.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$14.74 $14.74

2.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.52 $2.52

15.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.77 $2.77

24.91%

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

$3.02 $3.02

-9.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.89 $1.89

-12.17%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.14 $32.14

9.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.55 $1.55

-38.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.6K $36.6K

-1.43%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.0K $26.0K

4.01%

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

$229 $229

$221 $221

3.53%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$76.3 $76.3

-22.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$71.7 $71.7

-2.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$19.46 $19.46

-26.62%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,167 $1,167

28.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$32.0K $32.0K

-33.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$63.2 $63.2

-16.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.36 $48.36

-9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$106 $106

-19.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$105 $105

-1.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$2,992 $2,992

-36.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,810 $1,810

-29.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$5,949 $5,949

-38.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$4,046 $4,046

-37.26%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,007 $1,007

655.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$6,575 $6,575

-22.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.31

7.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for West Hollywood, CA: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

West Hollywood, CA

$1.8K 56.7% 42.1% $536

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

West Hollywood, CA

$422 13.2% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

West Hollywood, CA

$369 11.6% 3% $11

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

West Hollywood, CA

$396 12.4% 12% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

West Hollywood, CA

$145 4.5% 13.3% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

West Hollywood, CA

$39 * 1.2% 54.6% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

West Hollywood, CA

$12 * 0.4% 78.8% $46

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 $2,992 in West Hollywood, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Hollywood, CA pays 28% 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 West Hollywood, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $422 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 West Hollywood, CA

🕒 Local time

02:39 2:39 AM

00:39 12:39 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

34,399

💱 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 West Hollywood, CA 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in West Hollywood, 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 28% lower in West Hollywood, 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 $2,992 in West Hollywood, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $1,167 in West Hollywood, 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 West Hollywood, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and West Hollywood, 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 20% less than in West Hollywood, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.