Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Monrovia, CA and in Austin, TX: $2,704 and $2,698 a month, rent and utilities included.

134

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia, CA
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Monrovia, CA Living Index
129

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

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Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Monrovia, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Monrovia, CA $2,704
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,049 in Monrovia, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Monrovia, CA $4,049
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,394 in Monrovia, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Monrovia, CA $5,394
Austin, TX $5,622

Monthly costs are close between Monrovia, CA and Austin, TX; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monrovia, CA 100% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.92 $24.92

$20.63 $20.63

20.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.66 $11.66

$12.07 $12.07

-3.40%

Cappuccino

$5.61 $5.61

$5.48 $5.48

2.37%

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

$2.68 $2.68

$3.80 $3.80

-29.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.47 $2.47

-20.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.23 $8.23

$8.05 $8.05

2.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.63 $9.63

$8.88 $8.88

8.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.11 $1.11

6.31%

White Bread (500g)

$5.85 $5.85

$3.72 $3.72

57.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.23 $4.23

$3.37 $3.37

25.52%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$4.32 $4.32

14.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.40 $12.40

$13.13 $13.13

-5.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.92 $20.92

$14.15 $14.15

47.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.06 $14.06

$16.33 $16.33

-13.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.62 $5.62

$4.55 $4.55

23.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 $1.70

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$4.71 $4.71

-8.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.35 $6.35

$4.15 $4.15

53.01%

Potato (1kg)

$3.63 $3.63

$2.58 $2.58

40.70%

Onion (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.35 $2.35

48.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.40 $2.40

$1.77 $1.77

35.59%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$2.14 $2.14

6.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.63 $11.63

$10.10 $10.10

15.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.76 $14.76

$15.19 $15.19

-2.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.82 $2.82

-37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.44 $3.44

-9.88%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.54 $1.54

26.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.61 $4.61

$2.80 $2.80

64.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.60 $1.60

13.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.58 $35.58

$34.34 $34.34

3.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.94 $0.94

70.21%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.0K $34.0K

-18.41%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.75%

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

$218 $218

$223 $223

-2.04%

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

$72.4 $72.4

$58.9 $58.9

22.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$70.6 $70.6

1.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.11 $39.11

$57.7 $57.7

-32.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$11.79 $11.79

$14.26 $14.26

-17.32%

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

$1,948 $1,948

$1,511 $1,511

28.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.6K $42.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

103.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$73.1 $73.1

$51.3 $51.3

42.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.92 $40.92

$44.17 $44.17

-7.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.5 $80.5

$87.0 $87.0

-7.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$104 $104

64.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,577 $1,577

$1,940 $1,940

-18.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,235 $1,235

$1,316 $1,316

-6.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$3,664 $3,664

-32.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 $2,041

$2,565 $2,565

-20.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 $2,557

$7,354 $7,354

-65.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,351 $2,351

$3,129 $3,129

-24.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 Monrovia, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia, CA

$1.2K 45.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 6.6% $81

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia, CA

$477 17.7%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 15% $71

Eating Out

Monrovia, CA

$381 14.1%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 8% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia, CA

$362 13.4%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 2.7% $9.7

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia, CA

$165 6.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 21.6% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia, CA

$63 2.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 37.5% $24

Getting Around

Monrovia, CA

$21 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 170% $36

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 $1,577 in Monrovia, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $101 in Monrovia, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $477 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monrovia, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:57 12:57 PM

14:57 2:57 PM

2 h ahead of Monrovia, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,590

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

Monrovia, CA Austin, TX 1,950 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia, 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

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

You'd need roughly $4,056 in Monrovia, CA and $4,046 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: $1,577 in Monrovia, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Monrovia, CA. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $101 in Monrovia, 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, Monrovia, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Monrovia, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.