Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Costa Mesa, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

192

Cost of Living Index in Costa Mesa, CA
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Costa Mesa, CA Living Index
130

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

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Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,959

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,959 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Costa Mesa, CA $3,959
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,540 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Costa Mesa, CA $5,540
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,121 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Costa Mesa, CA $7,121
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Costa Mesa, CA is roughly 49% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Costa Mesa, CA 193% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$20.77 $20.77

-4.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$84.6 $84.6

-7.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.90 $14.90

$12.32 $12.32

20.94%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$5.63 $5.63

-0.71%

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

$3.40 $3.40

$3.72 $3.72

-8.60%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.32 $7.32

$8.05 $8.05

-9.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 $9.73

$9.01 $9.01

7.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.75 $3.75

6.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.26 $3.26

43.87%

Eggs

$5.09 $5.09

$4.17 $4.17

22.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.82 $12.82

$12.90 $12.90

-0.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.19 $20.19

$14.16 $14.16

42.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.58 $21.58

$16.22 $16.22

33.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.01 $5.01

$4.33 $4.33

15.70%

Banana (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$1.46 $1.46

69.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$4.51 $4.51

0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.34 $4.34

33.64%

Potato (1kg)

$4.53 $4.53

$2.58 $2.58

75.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.35 $2.35

-1.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.78 $1.78

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.22 $2.22

-14.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.60 $11.60

$9.88 $9.88

17.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$15.08 $15.08

-0.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.92 $2.92

-31.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 $4.18

$3.46 $3.46

20.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.49 $1.49

30.87%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 $69.9

$41.72 $41.72

67.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.10 $6.10

$2.73 $2.73

123.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.95 $0.95

54.74%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.21%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.55%

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

$218 $218

$229 $229

-4.97%

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

$68.5 $68.5

$59.4 $59.4

15.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$69.9 $69.9

2.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.81 $39.81

$57.2 $57.2

-30.45%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.21 $12.21

$16.33 $16.33

-25.23%

Cinema Ticket

$16.67 $16.67

$14.28 $14.28

16.74%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$1,506 $1,506

-20.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.1 $57.1

$52.8 $52.8

8.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.38 $47.38

$43.82 $43.82

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.2 $93.2

$84.8 $84.8

9.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$128 $128

$103 $103

24.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,726 $2,726

$1,907 $1,907

42.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 $2,467

$1,274 $1,274

93.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,187 $4,187

$3,664 $3,664

14.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,833 $3,833

$2,538 $2,538

51.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,284 $9,284

$7,614 $7,614

21.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,077 $7,077

$3,157 $3,157

124.15%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,286 $6,286

$5,121 $5,121

22.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.79

-5.89%

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

Last update for Costa Mesa, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Costa Mesa, CA

$2.5K 62.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 48.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Costa Mesa, CA

$480 12.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 15.7% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Costa Mesa, CA

$358 9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 0.2% $0.7

Eating Out

Costa Mesa, CA

$350 8.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1% $3.6

Clothing & Footwear

Costa Mesa, CA

$147 3.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 12.7% $19

Getting Around

Costa Mesa, CA

$84 * 2.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 29.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Costa Mesa, CA

$73 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17.3% $13

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 $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Costa Mesa, CA pays 23% 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: $79.0 in Costa Mesa, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $480 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Costa Mesa, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:52 4:52 AM

06:52 6:52 AM

2 h ahead of Costa Mesa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,960

974,447

💱 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

Costa Mesa, CA Austin, TX 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Costa Mesa, 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

Costa Mesa, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Costa Mesa, 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 23% higher in Costa Mesa, 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: $2,726 in Costa Mesa, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,959 per month in Costa Mesa, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 67% less than in Costa Mesa, 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 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, Costa Mesa, 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 49% less than in Costa Mesa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.