Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Menlo Park, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Menlo Park, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

173

Cost of Living Index in Menlo Park, CA
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Menlo Park, CA Living Index
129

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

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Menlo Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,601

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,601 in Menlo Park, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Menlo Park, CA $3,601
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,632 in Menlo Park, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Menlo Park, CA $6,632
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,663 in Menlo Park, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Menlo Park, CA $9,663
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Menlo Park, CA is roughly 33% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Menlo Park, CA 166% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.36 $25.36

$20.63 $20.63

22.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$108 $108

$84.6 $84.6

27.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.13 $12.13

$12.07 $12.07

0.50%

Cappuccino

$5.81 $5.81

$5.48 $5.48

6.02%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.80 $3.80

-18.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.47 $2.47

-4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$8.05 $8.05

0.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 $7.97

$8.88 $8.88

-10.25%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.11 $1.11

25.23%

White Bread (500g)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.72 $3.72

12.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.90 $4.90

$3.37 $3.37

45.40%

Eggs

$6.46 $6.46

$4.32 $4.32

49.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.57 $24.57

$13.13 $13.13

87.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 $11.73

$14.15 $14.15

-17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.02 $13.02

$16.33 $16.33

-20.27%

Apples (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.55 $4.55

22.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.46 $1.46

56.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.92 $4.92

$4.71 $4.71

4.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.80 $5.80

$4.15 $4.15

39.76%

Potato (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.58 $2.58

26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.35 $2.35

31.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.77 $1.77

38.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 $2.14

22.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.55 $11.55

$10.10 $10.10

14.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.00 $13.00

$15.19 $15.19

-14.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.82 $2.82

-39.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$3.44 $3.44

-27.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.63 $4.63

$1.54 $1.54

200.65%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.80 $2.80

16.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.42 $2.42

$1.60 $1.60

51.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.80 $39.80

$34.34 $34.34

15.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.94 $0.94

63.83%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.90%

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

$26.9K $26.9K

$26.8K $26.8K

0.54%

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

$187 $187

$223 $223

-16.07%

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

$38.24 $38.24

$58.9 $58.9

-35.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.5 $68.5

$70.6 $70.6

-2.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$16.11 $16.11

$14.26 $14.26

12.97%

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

$2,684 $2,684

$1,511 $1,511

77.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.1K $37.1K

$20.9K $20.9K

77.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.1 $51.1

$51.3 $51.3

-0.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.52 $39.52

$44.17 $44.17

-10.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.5 $88.5

$87.0 $87.0

1.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.9 $59.9

$104 $104

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,223 $3,223

$1,940 $1,940

66.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,287 $2,287

$1,316 $1,316

73.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$6,145 $6,145

$3,664 $3,664

67.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,562 $6,562

$2,565 $2,565

155.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$21.9K $21.9K

$7,354 $7,354

197.28%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.5K $16.5K

$3,129 $3,129

425.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,887 $4,887

$5,286 $5,286

-7.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.69

6.79

-1.47%

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

Last update for Menlo Park, 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

Menlo Park, CA

$2.3K 63.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 42.4% $971

Groceries & Markets

Menlo Park, CA

$460 12.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 11.7% $54

Eating Out

Menlo Park, CA

$387 10.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 9.5% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Menlo Park, CA

$294 8.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 19.9% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Menlo Park, CA

$108 3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 20% $22

Getting Around

Menlo Park, CA

$34 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 70.9% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Menlo Park, CA

$32 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 168% $54

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 $3,223 in Menlo Park, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 8% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $108 in Menlo Park, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $460 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Menlo Park, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:04 10:04 PM

00:04 12:04 AM

2 h ahead of Menlo Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,780

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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Between locations

Menlo Park, CA Austin, TX 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Menlo Park, 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

Menlo Park, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Menlo Park, 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 8% 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: $3,223 in Menlo Park, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,684 in Menlo Park, 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 $108 in Menlo Park, 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 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.

Safety-wise, Menlo Park, 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 33% less than in Menlo Park, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.