Last update: Nov 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

232

Cost of Living Index in Los Gatos, CA
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Los Gatos, CA Living Index
128

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

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Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,787

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,787 in Los Gatos, CA versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Los Gatos, CA $4,787
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,200 in Los Gatos, CA versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Los Gatos, CA $7,200
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,613 in Los Gatos, CA versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Los Gatos, CA $9,613
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Los Gatos, CA is roughly 78% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Los Gatos, CA 254% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.47 $25.47

$21.34 $21.34

19.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.0 $98.0

$87.9 $87.9

11.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.24 $15.24

$12.44 $12.44

22.51%

Cappuccino

$6.51 $6.51

$5.60 $5.60

16.25%

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

$2.92 $2.92

$3.65 $3.65

-20.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.39 $2.39

7.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.82 $7.82

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.75 $8.75

-8.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.12 $1.12

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.62 $3.62

16.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.77 $4.77

$3.50 $3.50

36.29%

Eggs

$6.62 $6.62

$4.45 $4.45

48.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.66 $24.66

$13.18 $13.18

87.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.61 $11.61

$13.94 $13.94

-16.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.16 $13.16

$16.46 $16.46

-20.05%

Apples (1kg)

$5.35 $5.35

$4.73 $4.73

13.11%

Banana (1kg)

$3.17 $3.17

$1.50 $1.50

111.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$4.64 $4.64

5.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.93 $5.93

$4.52 $4.52

31.19%

Potato (1kg)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.55 $2.55

29.02%

Onion (1kg)

$3.97 $3.97

$2.39 $2.39

66.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.05 $3.05

$1.84 $1.84

65.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.13 $2.13

23.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.05 $10.05

19.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.10 $13.10

$14.88 $14.88

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.82 $2.82

-24.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$3.29 $3.29

-24.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 $4.11

$2.68 $2.68

53.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.83 $1.83

$1.63 $1.63

12.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.36 $35.36

$35.20 $35.20

0.45%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.98 $0.98

60.20%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.4K $34.4K

-18.72%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.06%

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

$371 $371

$252 $252

46.91%

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

$58.7 $58.7

$59.8 $59.8

-1.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 $64.3

$69.7 $69.7

-7.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$145 $145

$60.4 $60.4

140.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$16.95 $16.95

$13.75 $13.75

23.27%

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

$2,150 $2,150

$1,458 $1,458

47.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.3K $20.3K

$26.6K $26.6K

-23.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$52.6 $52.6

-2.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.25 $39.25

$45.76 $45.76

-14.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.2 $75.2

$85.5 $85.5

-11.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.2 $60.2

$106 $106

-43.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,504 $3,504

$2,195 $2,195

59.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,124 $3,124

$1,269 $1,269

146.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,054 $6,054

$2,406 $2,406

151.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,481 $3,481

$7,381 $7,381

-52.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.82

-1.91%

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

Last update for Los Gatos, CA: November 2, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Los Gatos, CA

$3.1K 65.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 59.4% $1.9K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Los Gatos, CA

$493 10.3%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 22.6% $112

Groceries & Markets

Los Gatos, CA

$470 9.8%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 13.4% $63

Eating Out

Los Gatos, CA

$405 8.5%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 12.1% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Los Gatos, CA

$179 3.7%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 51% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Los Gatos, CA

$102 2.1%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 28.1% $29

Getting Around

Los Gatos, CA

$13 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 332% $44

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 $3,504 in Los Gatos, CA and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $98 in Los Gatos, CA vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $470 vs $407 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Los Gatos, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

09:23 9:23 AM

2 h ahead of Los Gatos, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,222

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Los Gatos, CA Austin, TX 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Los Gatos, 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 $7,181 in Los Gatos, CA and $4,034 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: $3,504 in Los Gatos, CA versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,150 in Los Gatos, CA versus $1,458 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 $88 versus $98 in Los Gatos, 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.