Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro Valley, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Castro Valley, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

162

Cost of Living Index in Castro Valley, CA
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Castro Valley, CA Living Index
129

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

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Castro Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,363

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,363 in Castro Valley, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Castro Valley, CA $3,363
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,211 in Castro Valley, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Castro Valley, CA $4,211
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,060 in Castro Valley, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Castro Valley, CA $5,060
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Castro Valley, CA is roughly 25% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Castro Valley, CA 148% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.70 $21.70

$20.63 $20.63

5.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.9 $79.9

$84.6 $84.6

-5.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.06 $12.06

$12.07 $12.07

-0.08%

Cappuccino

$5.62 $5.62

$5.48 $5.48

2.55%

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

$3.00 $3.00

$3.80 $3.80

-21.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.47 $2.47

13.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.12 $6.12

$8.05 $8.05

-23.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.31 $7.31

$8.88 $8.88

-17.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.11 $1.11

31.53%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.72 $3.72

19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$3.37 $3.37

71.22%

Eggs

$6.29 $6.29

$4.32 $4.32

45.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.15 $15.15

$13.13 $13.13

15.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$14.15 $14.15

-7.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.13 $22.13

$16.33 $16.33

35.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.55 $4.55

22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$1.46 $1.46

79.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.71 $4.71

-4.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.15 $4.15

11.08%

Potato (1kg)

$3.57 $3.57

$2.58 $2.58

38.37%

Onion (1kg)

$4.68 $4.68

$2.35 $2.35

99.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.77 $1.77

38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.14 $2.14

-52.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.10 $10.10

14.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.41 $17.41

$15.19 $15.19

14.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.82 $2.82

-40.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.44 $3.44

-18.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.19 $3.19

$1.54 $1.54

107.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.80 $2.80

23.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.60 $1.60

18.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.52 $40.52

$34.34 $34.34

18.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.94 $0.94

63.83%

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

$27.8K $27.8K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.28%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.78%

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

$185 $185

$223 $223

-16.89%

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

$62.9 $62.9

$58.9 $58.9

6.86%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.8 $60.8

$70.6 $70.6

-13.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.85 $40.85

$57.7 $57.7

-29.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.95 $14.95

$14.26 $14.26

4.84%

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

$2,500 $2,500

$1,511 $1,511

65.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$35.1K $35.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

68.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$40.38 $40.38

$51.3 $51.3

-21.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.54 $35.54

$44.17 $44.17

-19.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.4 $76.4

$87.0 $87.0

-12.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$50.9 $50.9

$104 $104

-51.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,260 $2,260

$1,940 $1,940

16.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,061 $2,061

$1,316 $1,316

56.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,469 $2,469

$3,664 $3,664

-32.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,565 $2,565

-17.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,712 $2,712

$7,354 $7,354

-63.13%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,368 $2,368

$3,129 $3,129

-24.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,708 $5,708

$5,286 $5,286

7.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.79

-2.50%

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

Last update for Castro Valley, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro Valley, CA

$2.1K 61.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 36.1% $744

Groceries & Markets

Castro Valley, CA

$460 13.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 11.8% $54

Eating Out

Castro Valley, CA

$346 10.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 1.3% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro Valley, CA

$309 9.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 14.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Castro Valley, CA

$91 2.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 41.1% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Castro Valley, CA

$71 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.9% $15

Getting Around

Castro Valley, CA

$26 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 126% $32

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 $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Castro Valley, CA pays 8% 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: $80.0 in Castro Valley, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $460 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Castro Valley, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:37 12:37 AM

02:37 2:37 AM

2 h ahead of Castro Valley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

61,388

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Castro Valley, CA Austin, TX 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Castro Valley, CA
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

Castro Valley, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Castro Valley, 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 8% higher in Castro Valley, CA, 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: $2,260 in Castro Valley, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,500 in Castro Valley, CA versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. 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 $80.0 in Castro Valley, 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 $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Castro Valley, CA and Austin, TX 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 25% less than in Castro Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.