Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Indio, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Indio, CA: $1,082 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

52

Cost of Living Index in Indio, CA
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Indio, CA Living Index
129

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

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Indio, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$1,082

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,082 in Indio, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Indio, CA $1,082
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,700 in Indio, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Indio, CA $1,700
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,318 in Indio, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Indio, CA $2,318
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Indio, CA costs roughly 60% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

The two cities straddle the global median: Indio, CA is 20% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.38 $20.38

$20.63 $20.63

-1.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$49.55 $49.55

$84.6 $84.6

-41.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 $14.96

$12.07 $12.07

23.94%

Cappuccino

$3.58 $3.58

$5.48 $5.48

-34.67%

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

$1.28 $1.28

$3.80 $3.80

-66.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.47 $2.47

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.47 $2.47

$8.05 $8.05

-69.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.24 $9.24

$8.88 $8.88

4.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.11 $1.11

-1.80%

White Bread (500g)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.72 $3.72

7.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$3.37 $3.37

42.73%

Eggs

$4.67 $4.67

$4.32 $4.32

8.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.70 $7.70

$13.13 $13.13

-41.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.37 $5.37

$14.15 $14.15

-62.05%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.98 $10.98

$16.33 $16.33

-32.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.98 $4.98

$4.55 $4.55

9.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.46 $1.46

17.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$4.71 $4.71

15.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$4.15 $4.15

41.20%

Potato (1kg)

$3.70 $3.70

$2.58 $2.58

43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$2.35 $2.35

-1.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.77 $1.77

14.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.14 $2.14

-10.28%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.02 $10.02

$10.10 $10.10

-0.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.89 $14.89

$15.19 $15.19

-1.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.90 $1.90

$2.82 $2.82

-32.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.09 $4.09

$3.44 $3.44

18.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.47 $1.47

$1.54 $1.54

-4.55%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 $3.91

$2.80 $2.80

39.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.94 $0.94

45.74%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-15.06%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

1.57%

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

$168 $168

$223 $223

-24.33%

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

$67.7 $67.7

$58.9 $58.9

14.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.7 $58.7

$70.6 $70.6

-16.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.97 $14.97

$14.26 $14.26

4.98%

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

$1,890 $1,890

$1,511 $1,511

25.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 $57.5

$51.3 $51.3

12.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.63 $39.63

$44.17 $44.17

-10.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$51.0 $51.0

$87.0 $87.0

-41.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.5 $70.5

$104 $104

-32.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 $2,478

$1,940 $1,940

27.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

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)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,167 $4,167

$5,286 $5,286

-21.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.79

-5.89%

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

Last update for Indio, CA: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Indio, CA

$353 32.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 15.1% $53

Eating Out

Indio, CA

$297 27.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 18% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Indio, CA

$295 27.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 19.4% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Indio, CA

$98 9.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 31.2% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Indio, CA

$30 * 2.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 188% $56

Getting Around

Indio, CA

$9.8 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 490% $48

Accommodation & Living

Indio, CA

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

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 $2,478 in Indio, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% 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: $50.0 in Indio, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $406 per month, with Indio, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Indio, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:22 9:22 AM

11:22 11:22 AM

2 h ahead of Indio, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,137

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

Indio, CA Austin, TX 1,780 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Indio, 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

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

Indio, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Indio, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 27% 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: $2,478 in Indio, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,890 in Indio, 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 Indio, CA – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Indio, 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.

Expats usually find Indio, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.