Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,616 in Monterey, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

173

Cost of Living Index in Monterey, CA
Learn more

Monterey, CA Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,616

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,616 in Monterey, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Monterey, CA $3,616
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,349 in Monterey, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Monterey, CA $5,349
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,082 in Monterey, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Monterey, CA $7,082
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Monterey, CA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterey, CA 167% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.27 $20.27

$20.63 $20.63

-1.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.6 $78.6

$84.6 $84.6

-7.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.10 $12.10

$12.07 $12.07

0.25%

Cappuccino

$5.22 $5.22

$5.48 $5.48

-4.74%

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

$3.20 $3.20

$3.80 $3.80

-15.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.62 $1.62

$2.47 $2.47

-34.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 $5.45

$8.05 $8.05

-32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$8.88 $8.88

-31.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.11 $1.11

48.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.17 $3.17

$3.72 $3.72

-14.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.37 $3.37

-21.96%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.32 $4.32

5.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.57 $9.57

$13.13 $13.13

-27.11%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.38 $13.38

$14.15 $14.15

-5.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.12 $6.12

$16.33 $16.33

-62.52%

Apples (1kg)

$3.66 $3.66

$4.55 $4.55

-19.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.46 $1.46

-17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$4.71 $4.71

-31.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.00 $4.00

$4.15 $4.15

-3.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.58 $2.58

6.59%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 $1.96

$2.35 $2.35

-16.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.77 $1.77

-1.69%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 $1.25

$2.14 $2.14

-41.59%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$10.10 $10.10

14.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.31 $17.31

$15.19 $15.19

13.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.82 $2.82

-3.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$3.44 $3.44

-46.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.54 $1.54

31.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$52.9 $52.9

$40.99 $40.99

28.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.80 $2.80

-43.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.60 $1.60

-40.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.04 $35.04

$34.34 $34.34

2.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$0.94 $0.94

62.77%

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

$28.9K $28.9K

$34.0K $34.0K

-14.99%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

-3.64%

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

$238 $238

$223 $223

6.93%

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

$75.1 $75.1

$58.9 $58.9

27.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$70.6 $70.6

1.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$84.1 $84.1

$57.7 $57.7

45.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.63 $10.63

$16.53 $16.53

-35.69%

Cinema Ticket

$12.75 $12.75

$14.26 $14.26

-10.59%

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

$555 $555

$1,511 $1,511

-63.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.5K $12.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

-40.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.8 $76.8

$51.3 $51.3

49.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$90.2 $90.2

$44.17 $44.17

104.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 $129

$87.0 $87.0

48.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$104 $104

28.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,490 $2,490

$1,940 $1,940

28.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,205 $2,205

$1,316 $1,316

67.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,056 $4,056

$3,664 $3,664

10.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,027 $4,027

$2,565 $2,565

56.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,909 $7,909

$7,354 $7,354

7.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,838 $5,838

$3,129 $3,129

86.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,771 $4,771

$5,286 $5,286

-9.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.79

-2.50%

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

Last update for Monterey, 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

Monterey, CA

$2.2K 61%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 40.3% $889

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey, CA

$385 10.6%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 8.5% $33

Groceries & Markets

Monterey, CA

$335 9.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 21% $70

Eating Out

Monterey, CA

$320 8.8%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 9.5% $30

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey, CA

$194 5.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 33.4% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey, CA

$110 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.3% $23

Getting Around

Monterey, CA

$67 1.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 13.9% $9.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,490 in Monterey, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 11% 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 Monterey, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $335 vs $406 per month, with Monterey, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:43 4:43 AM

06:43 6:43 AM

2 h ahead of Monterey, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,803

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

Monterey, CA Austin, TX 2,340 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Monterey, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Monterey, 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 11% 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: $2,490 in Monterey, 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 $3,616 per month in Monterey, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 29% less than in Monterey, 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 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, Monterey, 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 34% less than in Monterey, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.