Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,825 in Murrieta, CA, rent and utilities included – about $14,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

184

Cost of Living Index in Murrieta, CA
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Murrieta, CA Living Index
125

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

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Murrieta, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,825

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,825 in Murrieta, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Murrieta, CA $3,825
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,937 in Murrieta, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Murrieta, CA $4,937
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,049 in Murrieta, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Murrieta, CA $6,049
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Murrieta, CA is roughly 47% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Murrieta, CA 181% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.87 $27.87

$20.35 $20.35

36.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.2 $99.2

$84.7 $84.7

17.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.01 $7.01

$12.12 $12.12

-42.16%

Cappuccino

$5.88 $5.88

$5.65 $5.65

4.07%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$3.68 $3.68

-15.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.36 $2.36

16.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$7.87 $7.87

-0.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.15 $10.15

$8.82 $8.82

15.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.14 $1.14

-2.63%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.69 $3.69

20.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.79 $4.79

$3.31 $3.31

44.71%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.15 $4.15

10.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 $8.62

$12.98 $12.98

-33.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$13.86 $13.86

1.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.68 $13.68

$16.34 $16.34

-16.28%

Apples (1kg)

$3.82 $3.82

$4.69 $4.69

-18.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.82 $1.82

$1.45 $1.45

25.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.22 $3.22

$5.11 $5.11

-36.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.53 $3.53

$4.52 $4.52

-21.90%

Potato (1kg)

$3.40 $3.40

$3.08 $3.08

10.39%

Onion (1kg)

$1.71 $1.71

$2.38 $2.38

-28.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.26 $1.26

$1.80 $1.80

-30.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.03 $1.03

$2.22 $2.22

-53.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$9.97 $9.97

16.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$15.05 $15.05

-21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.91 $2.91

-20.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.18 $3.18

$3.33 $3.33

-4.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.22 $1.22

139.34%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.69 $40.69

$40.53 $40.53

0.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.78 $2.78

10.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.65 $1.65

23.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.12 $28.12

$35.39 $35.39

-20.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.36 $1.36

$0.95 $0.95

43.16%

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

$30.1K $30.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-11.99%

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

$23.6K $23.6K

$26.8K $26.8K

-11.79%

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

$250 $250

$223 $223

11.99%

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

$69.9 $69.9

$58.5 $58.5

19.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.8 $68.8

$71.2 $71.2

-3.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.84 $39.84

$53.0 $53.0

-24.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$13.42 $13.42

$14.06 $14.06

-4.55%

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

$1,904 $1,904

$1,459 $1,459

30.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.8K $36.8K

$21.3K $21.3K

72.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.80 $49.80

$52.5 $52.5

-5.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.60 $35.60

$42.75 $42.75

-16.73%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.8 $88.8

$86.4 $86.4

2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$104 $104

39.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,569 $2,569

$2,112 $2,112

21.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,400 $2,400

$1,230 $1,230

95.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,194 $3,194

$3,863 $3,863

-17.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,854 $2,854

$2,407 $2,407

18.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,990 $4,990

$5,179 $5,179

-3.66%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.66

6.82

-2.35%

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

Last update for Murrieta, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Murrieta, CA

$2.4K 62.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 48.7% $1.2K

Eating Out

Murrieta, CA

$398 10.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 12.4% $49

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Murrieta, CA

$389 10.2%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 9.2% $36

Groceries & Markets

Murrieta, CA

$363 9.5%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 12.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Murrieta, CA

$144 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 10.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Murrieta, CA

$67 1.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 21.7% $14

Getting Around

Murrieta, CA

$66 1.7%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 14% $9.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,569 in Murrieta, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 4% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $99 in Murrieta, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $363 vs $410, with Murrieta, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Murrieta, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:05 6:05 AM

08:05 8:05 AM

2 h ahead of Murrieta, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

109,830

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Murrieta, CA Austin, TX 1,870 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Murrieta, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Murrieta, 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 4% lower in Murrieta, 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: $2,569 in Murrieta, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,904 in Murrieta, CA versus $1,459 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 versus $99 in Murrieta, 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.