Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,949 in Irvine, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

193

Cost of Living Index in Irvine, CA
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Irvine, CA Living Index
130

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

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Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,949

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,949 in Irvine, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Irvine, CA $3,949
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,836 in Irvine, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Irvine, CA $5,836
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,724 in Irvine, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Irvine, CA $7,724
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Irvine, CA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Irvine, CA 193% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$20.77 $20.77

22.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.5 $99.5

$84.6 $84.6

17.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 $11.31

$12.32 $12.32

-8.20%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$5.63 $5.63

2.13%

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

$2.77 $2.77

$3.72 $3.72

-25.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 $1.94

$2.50 $2.50

-22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.89 $7.89

$8.05 $8.05

-1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.47 $9.47

$9.01 $9.01

5.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.12 $1.12

7.14%

White Bread (500g)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.75 $3.75

56.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.26 $3.26

36.50%

Eggs

$5.11 $5.11

$4.17 $4.17

22.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.36 $12.36

$12.90 $12.90

-4.19%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.51 $20.51

$14.16 $14.16

44.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.13 $14.13

$16.22 $16.22

-12.89%

Apples (1kg)

$5.43 $5.43

$4.33 $4.33

25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.28 $4.28

$4.51 $4.51

-5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.37 $6.37

$4.34 $4.34

46.77%

Potato (1kg)

$3.56 $3.56

$2.58 $2.58

37.98%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.35 $2.35

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.78 $1.78

28.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.22 $2.22

0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.69 $11.69

$9.88 $9.88

18.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.08 $15.08

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.92 $2.92

-41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.21 $3.21

$3.46 $3.46

-7.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.49 $1.49

32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$72.6 $72.6

$41.72 $41.72

74.04%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.73 $2.73

68.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 $1.88

$1.66 $1.66

13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.37 $36.37

$35.30 $35.30

3.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.95 $0.95

67.37%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.86%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.53%

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

$219 $219

$229 $229

-4.48%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$59.4 $59.4

17.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

-0.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.87 $42.87

$57.2 $57.2

-25.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.37 $13.37

$16.33 $16.33

-18.13%

Cinema Ticket

$11.92 $11.92

$14.28 $14.28

-16.53%

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

$1,926 $1,926

$1,506 $1,506

27.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.5K $42.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

97.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.0 $75.0

$52.8 $52.8

42.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.05 $40.05

$43.82 $43.82

-8.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.6 $79.6

$84.8 $84.8

-6.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 $169

$103 $103

64.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,851 $2,851

$1,907 $1,907

49.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,274 $1,274

88.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,844 $4,844

$3,664 $3,664

32.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,218 $4,218

$2,538 $2,538

66.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,313 $8,313

$7,614 $7,614

9.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,993 $7,993

$3,157 $3,157

153.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,684 $6,684

$5,121 $5,121

30.54%

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 Irvine, 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.

Accommodation & Living

Irvine, CA

$2.4K 61%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 47.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Irvine, CA

$475 12%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 14.9% $71

Eating Out

Irvine, CA

$383 9.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 7.6% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Irvine, CA

$358 9.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 0% $0.2

Clothing & Footwear

Irvine, CA

$164 4.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 21.9% $36

Getting Around

Irvine, CA

$95 2.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 37.9% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Irvine, CA

$67 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 28.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,851 in Irvine, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Irvine, CA pays 31% 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: $100 in Irvine, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Irvine, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:39 10:39 PM

00:39 12:39 AM

2 h ahead of Irvine, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

209,716

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Irvine, CA Austin, TX 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Irvine, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Irvine, 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 31% higher in Irvine, 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: $2,851 in Irvine, 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 $3,949 per month in Irvine, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 74% less than in Irvine, 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 $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Irvine, 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 48% less than in Irvine, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.