Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between California, MD and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in California, MD and in Austin, TX: $2,616 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

126

Cost of Living Index in California, MD
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California, MD Living Index
129

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

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California, MD

🇺🇸 United States

$2,616

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in California, MD and in Austin, TX

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in California, MD and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,616 in California, MD versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

California, MD $2,616
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,733 in California, MD versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

California, MD $3,733
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,849 in California, MD versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

California, MD $4,849
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in California, MD costs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: California, MD 93% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.81 $24.81

$20.63 $20.63

20.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.1 $75.1

$84.6 $84.6

-11.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.93 $9.93

$12.07 $12.07

-17.73%

Cappuccino

$5.98 $5.98

$5.48 $5.48

9.12%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$3.80 $3.80

-28.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.47 $2.47

-1.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.10 $5.10

$8.05 $8.05

-36.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.80 $7.80

$8.88 $8.88

-12.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.11 $1.11

-9.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.83 $3.83

$3.72 $3.72

2.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.17 $2.17

$3.37 $3.37

-35.61%

Eggs

$3.97 $3.97

$4.32 $4.32

-8.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.81 $11.81

$13.13 $13.13

-10.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.61 $14.61

$14.15 $14.15

3.25%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$16.33 $16.33

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$4.55 $4.55

-3.96%

Banana (1kg)

$2.21 $2.21

$1.46 $1.46

51.37%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.71 $4.71

-7.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.70 $6.70

$4.15 $4.15

61.45%

Potato (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$2.58 $2.58

69.38%

Onion (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$2.35 $2.35

67.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.77 $1.77

11.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.14 $2.14

-6.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.89 $8.89

$10.10 $10.10

-11.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.05 $14.05

$15.19 $15.19

-7.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.82 $2.82

-40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.80 $4.80

$3.44 $3.44

39.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.54 $1.54

40.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.4 $81.4

$40.99 $40.99

98.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.80 $2.80

8.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.41 $1.41

$1.60 $1.60

-11.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$22.46 $22.46

$34.34 $34.34

-34.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-1.52%

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

$23.1K $23.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-13.79%

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

$98.2 $98.2

$223 $223

-55.89%

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

$41.44 $41.44

$58.9 $58.9

-29.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.0 $62.0

$70.6 $70.6

-12.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.40 $39.40

$57.7 $57.7

-31.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.91 $10.91

$16.53 $16.53

-34.00%

Cinema Ticket

$18.19 $18.19

$14.26 $14.26

27.56%

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

$1,875 $1,875

$1,511 $1,511

24.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$31.9K $31.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

52.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 $53.9

$51.3 $51.3

5.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.77 $47.77

$44.17 $44.17

8.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 $85.3

$87.0 $87.0

-1.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$104 $104

3.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 $1,693

$1,940 $1,940

-12.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,338 $1,338

$1,316 $1,316

1.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,793 $1,793

$3,664 $3,664

-51.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,887 $1,887

$2,565 $2,565

-26.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,716 $6,716

$7,354 $7,354

-8.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,236 $6,236

$3,129 $3,129

99.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,062 $7,062

$5,286 $5,286

33.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.4

6.79

-5.74%

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

Last update for California, MD: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

California, MD

$1.3K 51.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 1.6% $22

Groceries & Markets

California, MD

$406 15.5%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 0% $0.1

Eating Out

California, MD

$362 13.8%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 3.2% $12

Monthly Utilities & Internet

California, MD

$202 7.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 74.6% $150

Clothing & Footwear

California, MD

$133 5.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 2.8% $3.6

Getting Around

California, MD

$100 3.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 42.2% $42

Sport & Entertainment

California, MD

$76 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 13.8% $10

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,693 in California, MD and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

California, MD pays 34% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in California, MD vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $406 per month, with California, MD cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 California, MD

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:50 9:50 PM

20:50 8:50 PM

1 h behind California, MD

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

California, MD Austin, TX 2,140 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

California, MD
Austin, TX

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

California, MD vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

California, MD wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making California, MD the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 34% higher in California, MD, 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: $1,693 in California, MD versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,616 per month in California, MD versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in California, MD runs roughly 99% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. California, MD 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 California, MD gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.