Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Elk Grove, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

205

Cost of Living Index in Elk Grove, CA
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Elk Grove, CA Living Index
129

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

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Elk Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,216

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,216 in Elk Grove, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Elk Grove, CA $4,216
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,106 in Elk Grove, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Elk Grove, CA $6,106
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,995 in Elk Grove, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Elk Grove, CA $7,995
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Elk Grove, CA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Elk Grove, CA 211% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.18 $22.18

$20.63 $20.63

7.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$65.0 $65.0

$84.6 $84.6

-23.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.03 $12.03

$12.07 $12.07

-0.33%

Cappuccino

$7.04 $7.04

$5.48 $5.48

28.47%

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

$2.14 $2.14

$3.80 $3.80

-43.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.47 $2.47

4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$10.64 $10.64

$8.05 $8.05

32.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.60 $10.60

$8.88 $8.88

19.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.11 $1.11

45.95%

White Bread (500g)

$4.02 $4.02

$3.72 $3.72

8.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$8.65 $8.65

$3.37 $3.37

156.68%

Eggs

$5.47 $5.47

$4.32 $4.32

26.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.48 $17.48

$13.13 $13.13

33.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$30.55 $30.55

$14.15 $14.15

115.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$27.72 $27.72

$16.33 $16.33

69.75%

Apples (1kg)

$9.64 $9.64

$4.55 $4.55

111.87%

Banana (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$1.46 $1.46

123.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.00 $10.00

$4.71 $4.71

112.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.03 $8.03

$4.15 $4.15

93.49%

Potato (1kg)

$7.55 $7.55

$2.58 $2.58

192.64%

Onion (1kg)

$6.16 $6.16

$2.35 $2.35

162.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.04 $3.04

$1.77 $1.77

71.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.14 $2.14

-8.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$13.09 $13.09

$10.10 $10.10

29.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.61 $20.61

$15.19 $15.19

35.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.98 $8.98

$3.44 $3.44

161.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$8.09 $8.09

$1.54 $1.54

425.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$148 $148

$40.99 $40.99

260.87%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.88 $6.88

$2.80 $2.80

145.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.66 $3.66

$1.60 $1.60

128.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$0.94 $0.94

46.81%

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

$31.2K $31.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-8.07%

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

$22.5K $22.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-16.12%

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

$255 $255

$223 $223

14.43%

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

$108 $108

$58.9 $58.9

83.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$136 $136

$70.6 $70.6

92.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$102 $102

$57.7 $57.7

77.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.76 $24.76

$16.53 $16.53

49.79%

Cinema Ticket

$17.69 $17.69

$14.26 $14.26

24.05%

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

$1,436 $1,436

$1,511 $1,511

-4.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K $17.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

-14.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.1 $91.1

$51.3 $51.3

77.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$89.7 $89.7

$44.17 $44.17

103.10%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$171 $171

$87.0 $87.0

97.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$104 $104

24.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,269 $2,269

$1,940 $1,940

16.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,088 $2,088

$1,316 $1,316

58.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,368 $3,368

$3,664 $3,664

-8.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,473 $3,473

$2,565 $2,565

35.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,900 $3,900

$7,354 $7,354

-46.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,165 $3,165

$3,129 $3,129

1.14%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,827 $7,827

$5,286 $5,286

48.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.79

-3.83%

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

Last update for Elk Grove, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Elk Grove, CA

$2.1K 49.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 37% $772

Groceries & Markets

Elk Grove, CA

$679 * 16.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 40.2% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Elk Grove, CA

$498 11.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 29.3% $146

Eating Out

Elk Grove, CA

$391 9.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.5% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Elk Grove, CA

$217 5.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 40.5% $88

Getting Around

Elk Grove, CA

$205 4.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 71.8% $148

Sport & Entertainment

Elk Grove, CA

$138 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 37.3% $51

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 $2,269 in Elk Grove, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Elk Grove, CA pays 48% 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 Elk Grove, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $679 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Elk Grove, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:20 3:20 AM

05:20 5:20 AM

2 h ahead of Elk Grove, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

166,913

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

Elk Grove, CA Austin, TX 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Elk Grove, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Elk Grove, 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 48% higher in Elk Grove, 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: $2,269 in Elk Grove, 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 $4,216 per month in Elk Grove, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 261% less than in Elk Grove, 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.

Safety-wise, Elk Grove, 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 56% less than in Elk Grove, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.