Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mountain View, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,611 in Mountain View, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

222

Cost of Living Index in Mountain View, CA
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Mountain View, CA Living Index
130

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

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Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,611

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,611 in Mountain View, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Mountain View, CA $4,611
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,506 in Mountain View, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Mountain View, CA $6,506
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,402 in Mountain View, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Mountain View, CA $8,402
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Mountain View, CA is roughly 73% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mountain View, CA 242% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.21 $20.21

$20.77 $20.77

-2.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$84.6 $84.6

18.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$12.32 $12.32

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.35 $5.35

$5.63 $5.63

-4.97%

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

$2.80 $2.80

$3.72 $3.72

-24.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.50 $2.50

9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 $6.98

$8.05 $8.05

-13.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.89 $9.89

$9.01 $9.01

9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.75 $3.75

16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.91 $4.91

$3.26 $3.26

50.61%

Eggs

$5.42 $5.42

$4.17 $4.17

29.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.31 $16.31

$12.90 $12.90

26.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.55 $11.55

$14.16 $14.16

-18.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.96 $12.96

$16.22 $16.22

-20.10%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.33 $4.33

28.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.46 $1.46

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$4.51 $4.51

-1.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.74 $5.74

$4.34 $4.34

32.26%

Potato (1kg)

$3.79 $3.79

$2.58 $2.58

46.90%

Onion (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$2.35 $2.35

139.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.78 $1.78

43.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.22 $2.22

22.97%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.49 $11.49

$9.88 $9.88

16.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.05 $13.05

$15.08 $15.08

-13.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 $2.06

$2.92 $2.92

-29.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$3.46 $3.46

-29.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.86 $4.86

$1.49 $1.49

226.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.73 $2.73

48.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.88 $4.88

$1.66 $1.66

193.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$36.7K $36.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

1.79%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.83%

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

$289 $289

$229 $229

26.26%

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

$44.50 $44.50

$59.4 $59.4

-25.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.1 $62.1

$69.9 $69.9

-11.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$71.2 $71.2

$57.2 $57.2

24.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.19 $12.19

$16.33 $16.33

-25.35%

Cinema Ticket

$16.92 $16.92

$14.28 $14.28

18.49%

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

$2,281 $2,281

$1,506 $1,506

51.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.2K $24.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

12.80%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.5 $51.5

$52.8 $52.8

-2.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$102 $102

$43.82 $43.82

132.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$148 $148

$84.8 $84.8

74.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$103 $103

44.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,890 $2,890

$1,907 $1,907

51.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,085 $3,085

$1,274 $1,274

142.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,542 $5,542

$3,664 $3,664

51.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,997 $4,997

$2,538 $2,538

96.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.6K $10.6K

$7,614 $7,614

38.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$10.2K $10.2K

$3,157 $3,157

224.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$9,341 $9,341

$5,121 $5,121

82.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.14

6.79

-9.57%

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

Last update for Mountain View, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mountain View, CA

$3.1K 66.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 58.7% $1.8K

Groceries & Markets

Mountain View, CA

$436 9.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 7.2% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mountain View, CA

$396 8.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 9.4% $37

Eating Out

Mountain View, CA

$338 7.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 4.6% $15

Clothing & Footwear

Mountain View, CA

$203 4.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 36.8% $75

Sport & Entertainment

Mountain View, CA

$105 2.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 18.3% $19

Getting Around

Mountain View, CA

$48 * 1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 22.5% $11

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 $2,890 in Mountain View, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mountain View, CA pays 82% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $100 in Mountain View, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $436 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mountain View, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:54 7:54 AM

09:54 9:54 AM

2 h ahead of Mountain View, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

82,739

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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Highest

Between locations

Mountain View, CA Austin, TX 2,380 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Mountain View, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 73% lower than in Mountain View, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 82% higher in Mountain View, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,890 in Mountain View, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,281 in Mountain View, CA versus $1,506 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 $100 in Mountain View, 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 $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Mountain View, 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 73% less than in Mountain View, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.