Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Huntington Beach, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Huntington Beach, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

172

Cost of Living Index in Huntington Beach, CA
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Huntington Beach, CA Living Index
129

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

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Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,561

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,561 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Huntington Beach, CA $3,561
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,920 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Huntington Beach, CA $5,920
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,278 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Huntington Beach, CA $8,278
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Huntington Beach, CA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Huntington Beach, CA 163% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.92 $15.92

$20.63 $20.63

-22.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.9 $78.9

$84.6 $84.6

-6.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.07 $12.07

22.87%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$5.48 $5.48

6.57%

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

$3.13 $3.13

$3.80 $3.80

-17.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.47 $2.47

-7.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.27 $7.27

$8.05 $8.05

-9.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.22 $8.22

$8.88 $8.88

-7.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 $1.19

$1.11 $1.11

7.21%

White Bread (500g)

$5.10 $5.10

$3.72 $3.72

37.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.37 $3.37

44.81%

Eggs

$5.08 $5.08

$4.32 $4.32

17.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.22 $12.22

$13.13 $13.13

-6.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.24 $19.24

$14.15 $14.15

35.97%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.42 $15.42

$16.33 $16.33

-5.57%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.55 $4.55

3.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.16 $4.16

$4.71 $4.71

-11.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.57 $5.57

$4.15 $4.15

34.22%

Potato (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$2.58 $2.58

73.26%

Onion (1kg)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.35 $2.35

34.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.77 $1.77

18.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.14 $2.14

14.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$10.10 $10.10

18.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.10 $15.10

$15.19 $15.19

-0.59%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.00 $2.00

$2.82 $2.82

-29.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.44 $3.44

-5.52%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.80 $2.80

56.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.60 $1.60

15.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.49 $35.49

$34.34 $34.34

3.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.94 $0.94

70.21%

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

$28.1K $28.1K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.22%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.29%

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

$211 $211

$223 $223

-5.03%

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

$62.3 $62.3

$58.9 $58.9

5.84%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.5 $78.5

$70.6 $70.6

11.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.12 $44.12

$57.7 $57.7

-23.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 $15.02

$14.26 $14.26

5.33%

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

$1,183 $1,183

$1,511 $1,511

-21.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.3K $43.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

107.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$64.4 $64.4

$51.3 $51.3

25.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.20 $41.20

$44.17 $44.17

-6.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$87.0 $87.0

16.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$104 $104

11.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,612 $2,612

$1,940 $1,940

34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$1,316 $1,316

66.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,918 $4,918

$3,664 $3,664

34.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,279 $5,279

$2,565 $2,565

105.79%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,928 $7,928

$7,354 $7,354

7.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,031 $5,031

$3,129 $3,129

60.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,627 $5,627

$5,286 $5,286

6.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.79

-2.21%

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

Last update for Huntington Beach, 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

Huntington Beach, CA

$2.2K 61.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 40% $878

Groceries & Markets

Huntington Beach, CA

$464 13%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 12.6% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Huntington Beach, CA

$352 9.9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 0% $0.2

Eating Out

Huntington Beach, CA

$316 8.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Huntington Beach, CA

$146 4.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 11.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Huntington Beach, CA

$74 2.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 16.3% $12

Getting Around

Huntington Beach, CA

$14 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 325% $44

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 $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Huntington Beach, CA pays 6% 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: $79.0 in Huntington Beach, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $464 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Huntington Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:22 4:22 AM

06:22 6:22 AM

2 h ahead of Huntington Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

193,366

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

Huntington Beach, CA Austin, TX 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Huntington Beach, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Huntington Beach, 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 6% higher in Huntington Beach, 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: $2,612 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,183 in Huntington Beach, CA versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $79.0 in Huntington Beach, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Huntington Beach, 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 32% less than in Huntington Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.