Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

140

Cost of Living Index in Monterey Park, CA
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Monterey Park, CA Living Index
128

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

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Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,949

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,949 in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Monterey Park, CA $2,949
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,287 in Monterey Park, CA versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Monterey Park, CA $4,287
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,625 in Monterey Park, CA versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Monterey Park, CA $5,625
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Monterey Park, CA is roughly 10% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Monterey Park, CA 118% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$28.42 $28.42

$21.34 $21.34

33.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.7 $82.7

$87.9 $87.9

-5.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.16 $15.16

$12.44 $12.44

21.86%

Cappuccino

$5.92 $5.92

$5.60 $5.60

5.71%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.65 $3.65

-16.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.39 $2.39

14.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.55 $8.55

$7.82 $7.82

9.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$8.75 $8.75

12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.87 $4.87

$3.62 $3.62

34.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.50 $3.50

32.57%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$4.45 $4.45

21.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.88 $10.88

$13.18 $13.18

-17.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.59 $8.59

$13.94 $13.94

-38.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.16 $20.16

$16.46 $16.46

22.48%

Apples (1kg)

$4.67 $4.67

$4.73 $4.73

-1.27%

Banana (1kg)

$2.20 $2.20

$1.50 $1.50

46.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.09 $4.09

$4.64 $4.64

-11.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$4.52 $4.52

24.78%

Potato (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.55 $2.55

33.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.39 $2.39

17.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.84 $1.84

5.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.13 $2.13

23.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.84 $11.84

$10.05 $10.05

17.81%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.73 $14.73

$14.88 $14.88

-1.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.82 $2.82

-10.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.29 $3.29

-15.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.23 $1.23

43.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$56.7 $56.7

$41.43 $41.43

36.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.68 $2.68

39.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.63 $1.63

36.20%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.53 $38.53

$35.20 $35.20

9.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.98 $0.98

53.06%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.4K $34.4K

-17.51%

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

$26.6K $26.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.71%

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

$269 $269

$252 $252

6.48%

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

$85.7 $85.7

$59.8 $59.8

43.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$78.1 $78.1

$69.7 $69.7

12.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.33 $44.33

$60.4 $60.4

-26.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$18.34 $18.34

$13.75 $13.75

33.38%

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

$1,186 $1,186

$1,458 $1,458

-18.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K $13.0K

$26.6K $26.6K

-51.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$52.6 $52.6

20.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 $55.4

$45.76 $45.76

21.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 $121

$85.5 $85.5

41.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$215 $215

$106 $106

103.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,565 $1,565

$2,195 $2,195

-28.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 $1,302

$1,269 $1,269

2.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,619 $2,619

$4,000 $4,000

-34.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,077 $2,077

$2,406 $2,406

-13.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,585 $2,585

$7,381 $7,381

-64.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,343 $2,343

$2,964 $2,964

-20.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,626 $1,626

$5,043 $5,043

-67.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.82

-7.48%

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

Last update for Monterey Park, CA: October 31, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Monterey Park, CA

$1.3K 44.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 2.5% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monterey Park, CA

$432 14.7%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 11.7% $51

Eating Out

Monterey Park, CA

$429 14.6%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 17.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

Monterey Park, CA

$421 14.3%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 3.3% $14

Clothing & Footwear

Monterey Park, CA

$205 6.9%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 36.3% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Monterey Park, CA

$81 2.8%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 8.5% $6.9

Getting Around

Monterey Park, CA

$79 2.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 27.3% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 3.1 times more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $83 in Monterey Park, CA vs $88 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $421 vs $407, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Monterey Park, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:19 1:19 AM

03:19 3:19 AM

2 h ahead of Monterey Park, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

60,269

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

Monterey Park, CA Austin, TX 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Monterey 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Monterey 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 68% lower in Monterey Park, CA. 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: $1,565 in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,949 per month in Monterey Park, CA versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 9% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 27% less than in Monterey Park, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.