Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cathedral City, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Cathedral City, CA and in Austin, TX: $2,626 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

127

Cost of Living Index in Cathedral City, CA
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Cathedral City, CA Living Index
125

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

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Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,626

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,626 in Cathedral City, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Cathedral City, CA $2,626
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,862 in Cathedral City, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Cathedral City, CA $3,862
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,098 in Cathedral City, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Cathedral City, CA $5,098
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Cathedral City, CA is roughly 1% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cathedral City, CA 93% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.69 $18.69

$20.35 $20.35

-8.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.8 $75.8

$84.7 $84.7

-10.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.90 $10.90

$12.12 $12.12

-10.07%

Cappuccino

$5.18 $5.18

$5.65 $5.65

-8.32%

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

$2.49 $2.49

$3.68 $3.68

-32.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.36 $2.36

-16.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.04 $6.04

$7.87 $7.87

-23.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.96 $6.96

$8.82 $8.82

-21.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.00 $1.00

$1.14 $1.14

-12.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.69 $3.69

-6.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$3.31 $3.31

33.53%

Eggs

$4.25 $4.25

$4.15 $4.15

2.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.16 $12.16

$12.98 $12.98

-6.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$13.86 $13.86

-18.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.20 $15.20

$16.34 $16.34

-6.98%

Apples (1kg)

$4.82 $4.82

$4.69 $4.69

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.45 $1.45

8.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$5.11 $5.11

-17.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 $4.58

$4.52 $4.52

1.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.08 $3.08

-9.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$2.38 $2.38

20.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.80 $1.80

17.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 $2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-2.25%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.77 $9.77

$9.97 $9.97

-2.01%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 $13.90

$15.05 $15.05

-7.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.91 $2.91

-39.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 $3.45

$3.33 $3.33

3.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.22 $1.22

62.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$62.0 $62.0

$40.53 $40.53

52.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 $3.55

$2.78 $2.78

27.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.65 $1.65

-3.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.44 $29.44

$35.39 $35.39

-16.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.95 $0.95

-6.32%

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

$29.8K $29.8K

$34.2K $34.2K

-12.82%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.70%

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

$186 $186

$223 $223

-16.41%

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

$53.2 $53.2

$58.5 $58.5

-8.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$71.2 $71.2

-3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.71 $42.71

$53.0 $53.0

-19.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.46 $13.46

$14.06 $14.06

-4.27%

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

$1,308 $1,308

$1,459 $1,459

-10.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$23.8K $23.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

11.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.3 $50.3

$52.5 $52.5

-4.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.94 $39.94

$42.75 $42.75

-6.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$86.4 $86.4

-1.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 $113

$104 $104

9.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 $1,629

$2,112 $2,112

-22.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,347 $1,347

$1,230 $1,230

9.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,592 $2,592

$3,863 $3,863

-32.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,266 $2,266

$2,407 $2,407

-5.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,761 $2,761

$7,426 $7,426

-62.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,402 $2,402

$3,060 $3,060

-21.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.82

-4.55%

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

Last update for Cathedral City, CA: October 25, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cathedral City, CA

$1.3K 51.3%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 8.7% $117

Groceries & Markets

Cathedral City, CA

$384 14.6%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 6.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cathedral City, CA

$308 11.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 14.3% $44

Eating Out

Cathedral City, CA

$306 11.7%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 13.6% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Cathedral City, CA

$130 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 1.1% $1.4

Getting Around

Cathedral City, CA

$81 3.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 30.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Cathedral City, CA

$70 2.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 16.6% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $76 in Cathedral City, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $384 vs $410 per month, with Cathedral City, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Cathedral City, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:02 8:02 AM

10:02 10:02 AM

2 h ahead of Cathedral City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

51,493

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Cathedral City, CA Austin, TX 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cathedral City, 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

Cathedral City, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Cathedral City, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,939 in Cathedral City, CA and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,629 in Cathedral City, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,626 per month in Cathedral City, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 35% less than in Cathedral City, 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.