Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Newport Beach, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA, rent and utilities included – about $30,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

251

Cost of Living Index in Newport Beach, CA
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Newport Beach, CA Living Index
130

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

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Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$5,162

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $5,162 in Newport Beach, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Newport Beach, CA $5,162
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $7,336 in Newport Beach, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Newport Beach, CA $7,336
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $9,509 in Newport Beach, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Newport Beach, CA $9,509
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Newport Beach, CA is roughly 94% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Newport Beach, CA 282% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.34 $25.34

$20.77 $20.77

22.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.86 $14.86

$12.32 $12.32

20.62%

Cappuccino

$5.79 $5.79

$5.63 $5.63

2.84%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.72 $3.72

-18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.50 $2.50

-2.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.06 $7.06

$8.05 $8.05

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.44 $9.44

$9.01 $9.01

4.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.12 $1.12

8.93%

White Bread (500g)

$5.74 $5.74

$3.75 $3.75

53.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.26 $3.26

29.45%

Eggs

$5.27 $5.27

$4.17 $4.17

26.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 $12.68

$12.90 $12.90

-1.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.04 $9.04

$14.16 $14.16

-36.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$16.22 $16.22

-12.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.81 $4.81

$4.33 $4.33

11.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.46 $1.46

17.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.08 $4.08

$4.51 $4.51

-9.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.34 $4.34

25.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.58 $2.58

41.47%

Onion (1kg)

$3.07 $3.07

$2.35 $2.35

30.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.78 $1.78

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 $2.26

$2.22 $2.22

1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.59 $11.59

$9.88 $9.88

17.31%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.11 $15.11

$15.08 $15.08

0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.92 $2.92

-39.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.10 $3.10

$3.46 $3.46

-10.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.56 $4.56

$2.73 $2.73

67.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.85 $1.85

$1.66 $1.66

11.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.59 $36.59

$35.30 $35.30

3.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.47 $1.47

$0.95 $0.95

54.74%

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

$37.2K $37.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.08%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.57%

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

$216 $216

$229 $229

-5.61%

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

$80.0 $80.0

$59.4 $59.4

34.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.3 $71.3

$69.9 $69.9

1.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$116 $116

$57.2 $57.2

103.32%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.65 $27.65

$16.33 $16.33

69.32%

Cinema Ticket

$20.16 $20.16

$14.28 $14.28

41.18%

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

$1,756 $1,756

$1,506 $1,506

16.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.2K $36.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

68.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.7 $62.7

$52.8 $52.8

18.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.05 $41.05

$43.82 $43.82

-6.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$78.4 $78.4

$84.8 $84.8

-7.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$102 $102

$103 $103

-0.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,355 $4,355

$1,907 $1,907

128.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,694 $3,694

$1,274 $1,274

189.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$7,177 $7,177

$3,664 $3,664

95.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$6,170 $6,170

$2,538 $2,538

143.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$7,614 $7,614

110.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$16.0K $16.0K

$3,157 $3,157

406.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,204 $6,204

$5,121 $5,121

21.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.45

6.79

-5.01%

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

Last update for Newport Beach, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Newport Beach, CA

$3.7K 71.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 65.5% $2.4K

Groceries & Markets

Newport Beach, CA

$409 7.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 1.1% $4.7

Eating Out

Newport Beach, CA

$393 7.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.9% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Newport Beach, CA

$367 7.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 2.5% $9.1

Sport & Entertainment

Newport Beach, CA

$157 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 45.2% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Newport Beach, CA

$128 2.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 0% $0

Getting Around

Newport Beach, CA

$14 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 326% $45

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 $4,355 in Newport Beach, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Newport Beach, CA pays 21% 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: $101 in Newport Beach, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Newport Beach, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

07:34 7:34 AM

2 h ahead of Newport Beach, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

85,186

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Newport Beach, CA Austin, TX 1,940 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Newport Beach, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 94% lower than in Newport Beach, 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 21% higher in Newport Beach, 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: $4,355 in Newport Beach, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,756 in Newport Beach, 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 $101 in Newport Beach, 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, Newport Beach, 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 94% less than in Newport Beach, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.