Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Los Angeles, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Los Angeles, CA
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Los Angeles, CA Living Index
129

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

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Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,219

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,219 in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Los Angeles, CA $4,219
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,290 in Los Angeles, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Los Angeles, CA $6,290
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,361 in Los Angeles, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Los Angeles, CA $8,361
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Los Angeles, CA is roughly 56% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Angeles, CA 211% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.68 $26.68

$20.63 $20.63

29.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$119 $119

$84.6 $84.6

40.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.19 $15.19

$12.07 $12.07

25.85%

Cappuccino

$6.12 $6.12

$5.48 $5.48

11.68%

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

$3.79 $3.79

$3.80 $3.80

-0.26%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.47 $2.47

12.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 $7.85

$8.05 $8.05

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$8.88 $8.88

11.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.11 $1.11

19.82%

White Bread (500g)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.72 $3.72

30.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.37 $3.37

37.98%

Eggs

$5.54 $5.54

$4.32 $4.32

28.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.32 $11.32

$13.13 $13.13

-13.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.99 $15.99

$14.15 $14.15

13.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.56 $19.56

$16.33 $16.33

19.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.99 $4.99

$4.55 $4.55

9.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 $2.28

$1.46 $1.46

56.16%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.89 $4.89

$4.71 $4.71

3.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.34 $5.34

$4.15 $4.15

28.67%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.58 $2.58

32.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.35 $2.35

19.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.77 $1.77

13.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.14 $2.14

14.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$10.10 $10.10

14.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.80 $14.80

$15.19 $15.19

-2.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.94 $2.94

$2.82 $2.82

4.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.72 $2.72

$3.44 $3.44

-20.93%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.71 $1.71

$1.54 $1.54

11.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$105 $105

$40.99 $40.99

157.31%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.01 $3.01

$2.80 $2.80

7.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.60 $1.60

13.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.13 $32.13

$34.34 $34.34

-6.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.62 $1.62

$0.94 $0.94

72.34%

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

$35.7K $35.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

5.03%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

0.41%

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

$280 $280

$223 $223

25.70%

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

$77.1 $77.1

$58.9 $58.9

30.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$81.4 $81.4

$70.6 $70.6

15.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$76.4 $76.4

$57.7 $57.7

32.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.81 $11.81

$16.53 $16.53

-28.55%

Cinema Ticket

$17.98 $17.98

$14.26 $14.26

26.09%

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

$1,657 $1,657

$1,511 $1,511

9.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.3K $32.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

54.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.3 $89.3

$51.3 $51.3

74.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.2 $65.2

$44.17 $44.17

47.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 $120

$87.0 $87.0

38.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$216 $216

$104 $104

107.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,940 $1,940

32.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,442 $2,442

$1,316 $1,316

85.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,485 $5,485

$3,664 $3,664

49.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,362 $4,362

$2,565 $2,565

70.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,194 $7,194

$7,354 $7,354

-2.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,065 $7,065

$3,129 $3,129

125.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,187 $4,187

$5,286 $5,286

-20.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.86

6.79

1.03%

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

Last update for Los Angeles, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Angeles, CA

$2.4K 57.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 46.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Los Angeles, CA

$463 11%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 12.4% $57

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Angeles, CA

$438 10.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 19.7% $86

Eating Out

Los Angeles, CA

$418 9.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 16.2% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Los Angeles, CA

$221 5.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 41.6% $92

Getting Around

Los Angeles, CA

$124 3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 53.4% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Los Angeles, CA

$112 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 23.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,565 in Los Angeles, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $119 in Los Angeles, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $463 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Angeles, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:36 1:36 PM

15:36 3:36 PM

2 h ahead of Los Angeles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,030,904

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

Los Angeles, CA Austin, TX 1,970 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Los Angeles, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Los Angeles, 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 26% 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: $2,565 in Los Angeles, 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 $4,219 per month in Los Angeles, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 56% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 157% less than in Los Angeles, 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 56% less than in Los Angeles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.