Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Garden Grove, CA: $1,412 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

69

Cost of Living Index in Garden Grove, CA
Learn more

Garden Grove, CA Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,412

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,412 in Garden Grove, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Garden Grove, CA $1,412
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,264 in Garden Grove, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Garden Grove, CA $2,264
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,115 in Garden Grove, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Garden Grove, CA $3,115
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Garden Grove, CA costs roughly 47% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Garden Grove, CA 5% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 $25.44

$20.77 $20.77

22.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$77.4 $77.4

$84.6 $84.6

-8.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 $11.44

$12.32 $12.32

-7.14%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.63 $5.63

-0.36%

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

$2.73 $2.73

$3.72 $3.72

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.50 $2.50

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.42 $7.42

$8.05 $8.05

-7.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.42 $9.42

$9.01 $9.01

4.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.12 $1.12

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$5.30 $5.30

$3.75 $3.75

41.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.26 $3.26

34.05%

Eggs

$5.03 $5.03

$4.17 $4.17

20.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$12.90 $12.90

-2.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.63 $8.63

$14.16 $14.16

-39.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 $14.19

$16.22 $16.22

-12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$4.33 $4.33

8.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.46 $1.46

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.51 $4.51

-11.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.77 $5.77

$4.34 $4.34

32.95%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.58 $2.58

41.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.35 $2.35

28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.78 $1.78

20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.22 $2.22

0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$9.88 $9.88

16.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.94 $14.94

$15.08 $15.08

-0.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.92 $2.92

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.46 $3.46

-10.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.02 $5.02

$1.49 $1.49

236.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.6 $68.6

$41.72 $41.72

64.48%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.73 $2.73

63.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.66 $1.66

13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.49 $36.49

$35.30 $35.30

3.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.95 $0.95

61.05%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

1.10%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.96%

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

$216 $216

$229 $229

-5.81%

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

$70.3 $70.3

$59.4 $59.4

18.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$69.9 $69.9

-1.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$14.85 $14.85

$57.2 $57.2

-74.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.03 $20.03

$16.33 $16.33

22.66%

Cinema Ticket

$15.09 $15.09

$14.28 $14.28

5.67%

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

$1,189 $1,189

$1,506 $1,506

-21.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K $42.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

97.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$61.7 $61.7

$52.8 $52.8

16.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.80 $40.80

$43.82 $43.82

-6.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.5 $81.5

$84.8 $84.8

-3.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$103 $103

-1.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,206 $2,206

$1,907 $1,907

15.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,518 $3,518

$3,664 $3,664

-4.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,702 $4,702

$5,121 $5,121

-8.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.79

-7.07%

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

Last update for Garden Grove, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Garden Grove, CA

$401 28.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 0.9% $3.6

Eating Out

Garden Grove, CA

$380 26.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 6.8% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garden Grove, CA

$355 25.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1% $3.5

Clothing & Footwear

Garden Grove, CA

$129 9.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 0.5% $0.6

Getting Around

Garden Grove, CA

$103 7.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 42.8% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Garden Grove, CA

$45 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 90.5% $41

Accommodation & Living

Garden Grove, CA

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

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 $2,206 in Garden Grove, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% 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: $77.0 in Garden Grove, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $401 vs $405 per month, with Garden Grove, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garden Grove, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

2 h ahead of Garden Grove, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

170,883

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

Garden Grove, CA Austin, TX 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Garden 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

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

Garden Grove, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 89% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Garden Grove, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 9% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,206 in Garden Grove, 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 $1,412 per month in Garden Grove, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 89% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Garden Grove, CA runs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Garden Grove, CA 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, Garden 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 Garden Grove, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 89% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.