Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between El Centro, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in El Centro, CA and in Austin, TX: $2,700 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in El Centro, CA
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El Centro, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,700

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,700 in El Centro, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

El Centro, CA $2,700
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,848 in El Centro, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

El Centro, CA $3,848
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,996 in El Centro, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

El Centro, CA $4,996
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in El Centro, CA is roughly 4% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: El Centro, CA 98% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.62 $13.62

$20.35 $20.35

-33.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$44.97 $44.97

$84.7 $84.7

-46.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 $11.39

$12.12 $12.12

-6.02%

Cappuccino

$4.89 $4.89

$5.65 $5.65

-13.45%

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

$2.54 $2.54

$3.68 $3.68

-30.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.36 $2.36

-16.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.90 $4.90

$7.87 $7.87

-37.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.95 $7.95

$8.82 $8.82

-9.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.14 $1.14

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$5.88 $5.88

$3.69 $3.69

59.35%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.31 $3.31

32.02%

Eggs

$4.91 $4.91

$4.15 $4.15

18.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.67 $12.67

$12.98 $12.98

-2.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.39 $20.39

$13.86 $13.86

47.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 $13.90

$16.34 $16.34

-14.93%

Apples (1kg)

$5.50 $5.50

$4.69 $4.69

17.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.45 $1.45

17.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$5.11 $5.11

-16.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.72 $6.72

$4.52 $4.52

48.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$3.08 $3.08

18.18%

Onion (1kg)

$3.47 $3.47

$2.38 $2.38

45.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.80 $1.80

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.22 $2.22

4.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.64 $11.64

$9.97 $9.97

16.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.05 $15.05

-1.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.91 $2.91

-41.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.33 $3.33

-2.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.26 $2.26

$1.22 $1.22

85.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.6 $58.6

$40.53 $40.53

44.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.78 $2.78

60.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.65 $1.65

13.94%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 $35.36

$35.39 $35.39

-0.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.95 $0.95

61.05%

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

$27.4K $27.4K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.86%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.93%

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

$216 $216

$223 $223

-3.30%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$58.5 $58.5

23.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.5 $70.5

$71.2 $71.2

-1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$34.32 $34.32

$53.0 $53.0

-35.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$11.90 $11.90

$14.06 $14.06

-15.36%

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

$1,895 $1,895

$1,459 $1,459

29.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.8K $42.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

100.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.7 $72.7

$52.5 $52.5

38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.38 $40.38

$42.75 $42.75

-5.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.1 $79.1

$86.4 $86.4

-8.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 $173

$104 $104

66.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,401 $1,401

$2,112 $2,112

-33.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,300 $1,300

$1,230 $1,230

5.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,246 $2,246

$3,863 $3,863

-41.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,076 $2,076

$2,407 $2,407

-13.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,709 $2,709

$7,426 $7,426

-63.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,661 $2,661

$3,060 $3,060

-13.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.82

-2.64%

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

Last update for El Centro, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

El Centro, CA

$1.3K 48.2%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 5.4% $70

Groceries & Markets

El Centro, CA

$477 17.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 14.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

El Centro, CA

$358 13.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 1.5% $5.5

Eating Out

El Centro, CA

$260 9.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 33.8% $88

Clothing & Footwear

El Centro, CA

$164 6.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 21.8% $36

Getting Around

El Centro, CA

$81 3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 30.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

El Centro, CA

$58 2.2%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 39.6% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,401 in El Centro, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $45 in El Centro, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $477 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 El Centro, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:47 10:47 AM

12:47 12:47 PM

2 h ahead of El Centro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,322

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

El Centro, CA Austin, TX 1,710 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

El Centro, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in El Centro, 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 $4,049 in El Centro, 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: $1,401 in El Centro, 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 $2,700 per month in El Centro, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 31% less than in El Centro, 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.