Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between La Quinta, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $2,756 in La Quinta, CA, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

134

Cost of Living Index in La Quinta, CA
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La Quinta, CA Living Index
125

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

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La Quinta, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,756

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,756 in La Quinta, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

La Quinta, CA $2,756
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,046 in La Quinta, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

La Quinta, CA $4,046
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,336 in La Quinta, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

La Quinta, CA $5,336
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in La Quinta, CA is roughly 6% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: La Quinta, CA 102% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.06 $20.06

$20.35 $20.35

-1.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.4 $81.4

$84.7 $84.7

-3.93%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$12.12 $12.12

-18.23%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$5.65 $5.65

4.07%

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

$2.03 $2.03

$3.68 $3.68

-44.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.36 $2.36

-12.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.96 $6.96

$7.87 $7.87

-11.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$8.82 $8.82

11.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 $1.25

$1.14 $1.14

9.65%

White Bread (500g)

$4.53 $4.53

$3.69 $3.69

22.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.31 $3.31

42.30%

Eggs

$4.36 $4.36

$4.15 $4.15

5.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.37 $11.37

$12.98 $12.98

-12.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.73 $15.73

$13.86 $13.86

13.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.39 $19.39

$16.34 $16.34

18.67%

Apples (1kg)

$5.05 $5.05

$4.69 $4.69

7.68%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.45 $1.45

51.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$5.11 $5.11

-5.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.44 $5.44

$4.52 $4.52

20.35%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$3.08 $3.08

6.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.38 $2.38

17.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.98 $1.98

$1.80 $1.80

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$2.22 $2.22

-18.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.96 $11.96

$9.97 $9.97

19.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.75 $14.75

$15.05 $15.05

-1.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.91 $2.91

4.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.33 $3.33

-15.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.22 $1.22

68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$61.9 $61.9

$40.53 $40.53

52.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.78 $2.78

10.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.87 $1.87

$1.65 $1.65

13.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$31.85 $31.85

$35.39 $35.39

-10.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 $1.52

$0.95 $0.95

60.00%

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

$35.2K $35.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

2.86%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.42%

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

$282 $282

$223 $223

26.57%

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

$76.4 $76.4

$58.5 $58.5

30.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.1 $80.1

$71.2 $71.2

12.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.39 $41.39

$53.0 $53.0

-21.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$15.13 $15.13

$14.06 $14.06

7.61%

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

$807 $807

$1,459 $1,459

-44.72%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K $32.4K

$21.3K $21.3K

51.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$52.5 $52.5

-3.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.05 $29.05

$42.75 $42.75

-32.05%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.1 $56.1

$86.4 $86.4

-35.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$104 $104

0.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,611 $1,611

$2,112 $2,112

-23.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 $1,277

$1,230 $1,230

3.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,477 $2,477

$3,863 $3,863

-35.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,166 $2,166

$2,407 $2,407

-10.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,685 $2,685

$7,426 $7,426

-63.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,334 $2,334

$3,060 $3,060

-23.74%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.82

0.59%

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

Last update for La Quinta, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

La Quinta, CA

$1.3K 46.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 3.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

La Quinta, CA

$445 16.2%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 8% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

La Quinta, CA

$439 15.9%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 19.6% $86

Eating Out

La Quinta, CA

$332 12%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 5% $16

Clothing & Footwear

La Quinta, CA

$108 3.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 18.8% $20

Getting Around

La Quinta, CA

$82 3%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 31.6% $26

Sport & Entertainment

La Quinta, CA

$72 2.6%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 13.3% $9.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,611 in La Quinta, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $81 in La Quinta, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $445 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 La Quinta, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

06:05 6:05 AM

2 h ahead of La Quinta, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

37,558

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

La Quinta, CA Austin, TX 1,790 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

La Quinta, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in La Quinta, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,133 in La Quinta, CA and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,611 in La Quinta, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,756 per month in La Quinta, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 35% less than in La Quinta, 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 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.