Cost of Living Comparison Between Palm Desert, CA and Austin, TX Cost of Living Comparison Between Palm Desert, CA and Austin, TX

๐Ÿ˜ Solo nomad: Palm Desert, CA is 3.3% more expensive than Austin, TX without rent, and 19.1% more expensive with rent.
๐Ÿ™‚ Family of 3: Palm Desert, CA is 5.4% cheaper than Austin, TX without rent, and 6.7% more expensive with rent.
Currency
๐Ÿฝ Eating Out
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$17.92 $17.92
$19.64 $19.64
-8.76%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$81.3 $81.3
$76.2 $76.2
6.69%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.7 $11.7
$9.95 $9.95
17.59%
Cappuccino
$5.1 $5.1
$5.61 $5.61
-9.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.65 $3.65
$2.64 $2.64
38.26%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.2 $2.2
$2.19 $2.19
0.46%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.13 $7.13
$5.84 $5.84
22.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.04 $8.04
$7.92 $7.92
1.52%
๐Ÿ›’ Groceries & Markets
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.17 $1.17
$1.13 $1.13
3.54%
White Bread (500g)
$4.13 $4.13
$3.3 $3.3
25.15%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.61 $4.61
$3.5 $3.5
31.71%
Eggs
$3.9 $3.9
$4.4 $4.4
-11.36%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$11.15 $11.15
$12 $12
-7.08%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$15.92 $15.92
$10.68 $10.68
49.06%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.21 $15.21
$14.73 $14.73
3.26%
Apples (1kg)
$4.49 $4.49
$4.88 $4.88
-7.99%
Banana (1kg)
$1.55 $1.55
$1.52 $1.52
1.97%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.87 $4.87
$4.53 $4.53
7.51%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.68 $5.68
$3.92 $3.92
44.90%
Potato (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$2.72 $2.72
18.75%
Onion (1kg)
$2.97 $2.97
$2.76 $2.76
7.61%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.05 $2.05
$2.01 $2.01
1.99%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.19 $2.19
$2.18 $2.18
0.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.21 $11.21
$8.86 $8.86
26.52%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.31 $13.31
$14.96 $14.96
-11.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.94 $1.94
$2.34 $2.34
-17.09%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.44 $3.44
2.33%
๐ŸšŒ Getting Around
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.98 $1.98
$1.48 $1.48
33.78%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$42.82 $42.82
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.5 $6.5
$4.3 $4.3
51.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.07 $2.07
$1.82 $1.82
13.74%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$28.83 $28.83
$34.63 $34.63
-16.75%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$0.73 $0.73
49.32%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$25.3K $25.3K
$25.5K $25.5K
-0.64%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$28.4K $28.4K
$26.3K $26.3K
8.00%
๐Ÿงพ Monthly Utilities & Internet
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 $158
$177 $177
-10.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$54.1 $54.1
$58.9 $58.9
-8.16%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$58 $58
$64.8 $64.8
-10.58%
๐ŸŽ‰ Sport & Entertainment
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$42.99 $42.99
$62.6 $62.6
-31.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$10.17 $10.17
-
Cinema Ticket
$13.05 $13.05
$14.72 $14.72
-11.35%
๐Ÿงธ Childcare & Education
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,514 $1,514
$1,378 $1,378
9.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$23.7K $23.7K
$22.4K $22.4K
5.85%
๐Ÿ‘•๐Ÿ‘Ÿ Clothing & Footwear
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$46.95 $46.95
$56.3 $56.3
-16.59%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$29.73 $29.73
$46.46 $46.46
-36.01%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$60.6 $60.6
$86.7 $86.7
-30.12%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$60.8 $60.8
$119 $119
-48.81%
๐Ÿ  Accommodation & Living
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,512 $2,512
$2,188 $2,188
14.84%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,028 $2,028
$1,395 $1,395
45.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,145 $3,145
$3,896 $3,896
-19.28%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,960 $2,960
$2,689 $2,689
10.06%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,175 $3,175
$4,414 $4,414
-28.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,404 $2,404
$3,161 $3,161
-23.96%
๐Ÿ’ต Salaries & Financials
Palm Desert, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,157 $5,157
$4,871 $4,871
5.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.64
6.45
2.95%

Citycost data is based on AI and user input โ€“ minor inaccuracies may occur.

Last update for Palm Desert, CA: October 27, 2025

Last update for Austin, TX: October 28, 2025

Join the CityCost newsletter โ€“ low traffic, no spam, and easy to unsubscribe. Your email stays private.