Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dublin, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,813 in Dublin, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

186

Cost of Living Index in Dublin, CA
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Dublin, CA Living Index
129

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

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Dublin, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,813

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,813 in Dublin, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Dublin, CA $3,813
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,432 in Dublin, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Dublin, CA $5,432
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,050 in Dublin, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Dublin, CA $7,050
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Dublin, CA is roughly 41% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dublin, CA 181% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.80 $20.80

$20.63 $20.63

0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$84.6 $84.6

-23.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.14 $11.14

$12.07 $12.07

-7.71%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$5.48 $5.48

-3.65%

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

$2.67 $2.67

$3.80 $3.80

-29.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.47 $2.47

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 $7.09

$8.05 $8.05

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.90 $6.90

$8.88 $8.88

-22.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.11 $1.11

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.72 $3.72

19.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.07 $4.07

$3.37 $3.37

20.77%

Eggs

$5.86 $5.86

$4.32 $4.32

35.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$13.13 $13.13

-49.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$14.15 $14.15

0.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.22 $22.22

$16.33 $16.33

36.07%

Apples (1kg)

$5.25 $5.25

$4.55 $4.55

15.38%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.46 $1.46

38.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.52 $5.52

$4.71 $4.71

17.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.15 $4.15

7.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.60 $3.60

$2.58 $2.58

39.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.35 $2.35

-8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.77 $1.77

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.14 $2.14

19.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.57 $11.57

$10.10 $10.10

14.55%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.73 $15.73

$15.19 $15.19

3.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.82 $2.82

-12.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.44 $3.44

-3.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.09 $3.09

$1.54 $1.54

100.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 $89.7

$40.99 $40.99

118.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.80 $2.80

27.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.03 $3.03

$1.60 $1.60

89.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.19 $30.19

$34.34 $34.34

-12.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.41 $1.41

$0.94 $0.94

50.00%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

7.65%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.31%

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

$124 $124

$223 $223

-44.37%

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

$48.57 $48.57

$58.9 $58.9

-17.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.6 $81.6

$70.6 $70.6

15.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.51 $34.51

$57.7 $57.7

-40.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.94 $34.94

$16.53 $16.53

111.37%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 $15.11

$14.26 $14.26

5.96%

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

$1,797 $1,797

$1,511 $1,511

18.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.0K $39.0K

$20.9K $20.9K

86.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 $59.1

$51.3 $51.3

15.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$52.0 $52.0

$44.17 $44.17

17.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$87.0 $87.0

-8.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 $119

$104 $104

14.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,822 $2,822

$1,940 $1,940

45.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,457 $2,457

$1,316 $1,316

86.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$3,664 $3,664

23.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,002 $4,002

$2,565 $2,565

56.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$12.9K $12.9K

$7,354 $7,354

75.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.8K $10.8K

$3,129 $3,129

244.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,418 $6,418

$5,286 $5,286

21.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.79

-1.77%

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

Last update for Dublin, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dublin, CA

$2.5K 64.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 46.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Dublin, CA

$445 11.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8.8% $39

Eating Out

Dublin, CA

$333 8.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 5.3% $18

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dublin, CA

$254 6.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 38.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Dublin, CA

$139 3.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 7.4% $10

Getting Around

Dublin, CA

$121 3.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 52% $63

Sport & Entertainment

Dublin, CA

$65 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,822 in Dublin, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dublin, CA pays 21% 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: $65.0 in Dublin, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Dublin, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

00:22 12:22 AM

2 h ahead of Dublin, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

49,328

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

Dublin, CA Austin, TX 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Dublin, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 41% lower than in Dublin, 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 21% higher in Dublin, 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: $2,822 in Dublin, CA 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 $3,813 per month in Dublin, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 41% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 119% less than in Dublin, 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 41% less than in Dublin, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.