Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,185 in Long Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

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

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

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Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,185

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,185 in Long Beach, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Long Beach, CA $3,185
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,857 in Long Beach, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Long Beach, CA $4,857
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,529 in Long Beach, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Long Beach, CA $6,529
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Long Beach, CA is roughly 18% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Long Beach, CA 135% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.67 $19.67

$20.63 $20.63

-4.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.7 $78.7

$84.6 $84.6

-6.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.48 $14.48

$12.07 $12.07

19.97%

Cappuccino

$6.17 $6.17

$5.48 $5.48

12.59%

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

$3.27 $3.27

$3.80 $3.80

-13.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.47 $2.47

0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.46 $7.46

$8.05 $8.05

-7.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.70 $9.70

$8.88 $8.88

9.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.05 $1.05

$1.11 $1.11

-5.41%

White Bread (500g)

$4.13 $4.13

$3.72 $3.72

11.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.37 $3.37

37.98%

Eggs

$4.63 $4.63

$4.32 $4.32

7.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.11 $13.11

$13.13 $13.13

-0.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.28 $14.28

$14.15 $14.15

0.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$16.33 $16.33

-6.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.74 $4.74

$4.55 $4.55

4.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$1.46 $1.46

14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 $4.80

$4.71 $4.71

1.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 $4.84

$4.15 $4.15

16.63%

Potato (1kg)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.58 $2.58

34.11%

Onion (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$2.35 $2.35

-4.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.77 $1.77

15.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.14 $2.14

-14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.10 $10.10

14.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.06 $15.06

$15.19 $15.19

-0.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.82 $2.82

-31.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.44 $3.44

-4.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.54 $1.54

14.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.9 $68.9

$40.99 $40.99

68.14%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.80 $2.80

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.60 $1.60

30.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.25 $28.25

$34.34 $34.34

-17.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.94 $0.94

63.83%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$34.0K $34.0K

-16.07%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.98%

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

$169 $169

$223 $223

-24.24%

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

$66.3 $66.3

$58.9 $58.9

12.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.3 $60.3

$70.6 $70.6

-14.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.49 $39.49

$57.7 $57.7

-31.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.84 $14.84

$14.26 $14.26

4.07%

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

$1,912 $1,912

$1,511 $1,511

26.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

73.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.5 $58.5

$51.3 $51.3

14.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.11 $40.11

$44.17 $44.17

-9.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$93.9 $93.9

$87.0 $87.0

7.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$142 $142

$104 $104

36.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,057 $2,057

$1,940 $1,940

6.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,813 $1,813

$1,316 $1,316

37.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,672 $3,672

$3,664 $3,664

0.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,462 $3,462

$2,565 $2,565

34.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,440 $7,440

$7,354 $7,354

1.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,677 $6,677

$3,129 $3,129

113.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,419 $4,419

$5,286 $5,286

-16.40%

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 Long Beach, 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.

Accommodation & Living

Long Beach, CA

$1.8K 56.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 27.4% $496

Groceries & Markets

Long Beach, CA

$414 13%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 1.9% $7.8

Eating Out

Long Beach, CA

$355 11.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 1.3% $4.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Long Beach, CA

$295 9.3%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 19.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Long Beach, CA

$151 4.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 14.3% $22

Getting Around

Long Beach, CA

$89 2.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 35.1% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Long Beach, CA

$69 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.6% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,057 in Long Beach, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 20% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Long Beach, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $414 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Long Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

16:52 4:52 PM

2 h ahead of Long Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

469,450

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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Highest

Between locations

Long Beach, CA Austin, TX 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Long 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Long 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.

On paper, salaries run 20% 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: $2,057 in Long Beach, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $3,185 per month in Long Beach, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 68% less than in Long Beach, 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 $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Long Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.