Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lake Forest, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,065 in Lake Forest, CA, rent and utilities included – about $4,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

148

Cost of Living Index in Lake Forest, CA
Learn more

Lake Forest, CA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Lake Forest, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,065

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,065 in Lake Forest, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Lake Forest, CA $3,065
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,654 in Lake Forest, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Lake Forest, CA $4,654
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,243 in Lake Forest, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Lake Forest, CA $6,243
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Lake Forest, CA is roughly 14% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lake Forest, CA 126% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.44 $25.44

$20.63 $20.63

23.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$84.6 $84.6

20.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.39 $11.39

$12.07 $12.07

-5.63%

Cappuccino

$5.83 $5.83

$5.48 $5.48

6.39%

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

$3.09 $3.09

$3.80 $3.80

-18.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.53 $2.53

$2.47 $2.47

2.43%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.12 $8.12

$8.05 $8.05

0.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.65 $9.65

$8.88 $8.88

8.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.11 $1.11

8.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.72 $3.72

31.99%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.63 $4.63

$3.37 $3.37

37.39%

Eggs

$5.32 $5.32

$4.32 $4.32

23.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.13 $13.13

-6.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.04 $16.04

$14.15 $14.15

13.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.05 $14.05

$16.33 $16.33

-13.96%

Apples (1kg)

$5.19 $5.19

$4.55 $4.55

14.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.46 $1.46

21.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.71 $4.71

-11.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.50 $6.50

$4.15 $4.15

56.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.58 $2.58

30.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.35 $2.35

20.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.77 $1.77

10.17%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.14 $2.14

6.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$10.10 $10.10

17.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.15 $15.15

$15.19 $15.19

-0.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.82 $2.82

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.44 $3.44

-22.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.80 $2.80

9.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.60 $1.60

16.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.09 $32.09

$34.34 $34.34

-6.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.94 $0.94

62.77%

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

$28.2K $28.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-17.16%

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

$26.4K $26.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.47%

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

$272 $272

$223 $223

22.21%

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

$71.8 $71.8

$58.9 $58.9

21.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$79.8 $79.8

$70.6 $70.6

12.98%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$99.5 $99.5

$57.7 $57.7

72.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.93 $14.93

$14.26 $14.26

4.70%

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

$1,649 $1,649

$1,511 $1,511

9.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.1K $32.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

53.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.6 $72.6

$51.3 $51.3

41.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.29 $40.29

$44.17 $44.17

-8.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.5 $79.5

$87.0 $87.0

-8.58%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$167 $167

$104 $104

60.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,099 $2,099

$1,940 $1,940

8.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,506 $1,506

$1,316 $1,316

14.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,265 $3,265

$3,664 $3,664

-10.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,790 $2,790

$2,565 $2,565

8.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,187 $8,187

$7,354 $7,354

11.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,906 $6,906

$3,129 $3,129

120.70%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,911 $6,911

$5,286 $5,286

30.73%

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 Lake Forest, CA: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Lake Forest, CA

$1.5K 49.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 12.6% $190

Groceries & Markets

Lake Forest, CA

$441 14.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 8% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lake Forest, CA

$424 13.8%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 16.9% $72

Eating Out

Lake Forest, CA

$390 12.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 10.2% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Lake Forest, CA

$162 5.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 20.3% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Lake Forest, CA

$129 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 33.4% $43

Getting Around

Lake Forest, CA

$12 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 368% $46

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 $2,099 in Lake Forest, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Lake Forest, 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: $102 in Lake Forest, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $441 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Lake Forest, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:32 5:32 AM

07:32 7:32 AM

2 h ahead of Lake Forest, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,367

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

Lake Forest, CA Austin, TX 1,920 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Lake Forest, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Lake Forest, 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 Lake Forest, 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: $2,099 in Lake Forest, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,649 in Lake Forest, 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 $102 in Lake Forest, 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 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, Lake Forest, 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 14% less than in Lake Forest, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.