Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $4,311 in Foster City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

208

Cost of Living Index in Foster City, CA
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Foster City, CA Living Index
129

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

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Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,311

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,311 in Foster City, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Foster City, CA $4,311
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,062 in Foster City, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Foster City, CA $4,062
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,812 in Foster City, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Foster City, CA $3,812
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Foster City, CA is roughly 60% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Foster City, CA 218% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.94 $24.94

$20.63 $20.63

20.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$109 $109

$84.6 $84.6

29.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.14 $12.14

$12.07 $12.07

0.58%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.48 $5.48

2.74%

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

$2.94 $2.94

$3.80 $3.80

-22.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.47 $2.47

10.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$8.05 $8.05

0.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.88 $8.88

-7.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 $1.38

$1.11 $1.11

24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$4.96 $4.96

$3.72 $3.72

33.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.18 $2.18

$3.37 $3.37

-35.31%

Eggs

$6.46 $6.46

$4.32 $4.32

49.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.14 $15.14

$13.13 $13.13

15.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.04 $13.04

$14.15 $14.15

-7.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.19 $23.19

$16.33 $16.33

42.01%

Apples (1kg)

$7.78 $7.78

$4.55 $4.55

70.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.46 $1.46

61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$4.71 $4.71

38.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.30 $3.30

$4.15 $4.15

-20.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$2.58 $2.58

29.84%

Onion (1kg)

$3.12 $3.12

$2.35 $2.35

32.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.77 $1.77

38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.14 $2.14

-3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.93 $11.93

$10.10 $10.10

18.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.18 $20.18

$15.19 $15.19

32.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.72 $1.72

$2.82 $2.82

-39.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.44 $3.44

7.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.77 $3.77

$1.54 $1.54

144.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$190 $190

$40.99 $40.99

363.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.22 $3.22

$2.80 $2.80

15.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.60 $1.60

47.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.74 $39.74

$34.34 $34.34

15.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.94 $0.94

68.09%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.38%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.83%

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

$270 $270

$223 $223

21.17%

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

$50.2 $50.2

$58.9 $58.9

-14.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.5 $67.5

$70.6 $70.6

-4.42%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$112 $112

$57.7 $57.7

94.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$15.80 $15.80

$14.26 $14.26

10.80%

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

$2,697 $2,697

$1,511 $1,511

78.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.6K $37.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

80.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$47.34 $47.34

$51.3 $51.3

-7.67%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.56 $29.56

$44.17 $44.17

-33.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$67.7 $67.7

$87.0 $87.0

-22.15%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$49.96 $49.96

$104 $104

-52.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,003 $3,003

$1,940 $1,940

54.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,609 $2,609

$1,316 $1,316

98.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$7,354 $7,354

44.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,568 $9,568

$3,129 $3,129

205.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,872 $6,872

$5,286 $5,286

29.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for Foster City, 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

Foster City, CA

$2.6K 60.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 49.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Foster City, CA

$481 11.2%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 15.6% $75

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Foster City, CA

$387 9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 9.1% $35

Eating Out

Foster City, CA

$383 8.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 8.6% $33

Getting Around

Foster City, CA

$220 5.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 73.7% $162

Sport & Entertainment

Foster City, CA

$144 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 40% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Foster City, CA

$88 2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 47.4% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,003 in Foster City, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Foster City, CA pays 30% 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: $109 in Foster City, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $481 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Foster City, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:26 12:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

2 h ahead of Foster City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,567

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

Foster City, CA Austin, TX 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Foster 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Foster 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.

Average pay runs 30% higher in Foster City, 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: $3,003 in Foster City, 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 $4,311 per month in Foster City, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 364% less than in Foster 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Foster City, 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 60% less than in Foster City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.