Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA, rent and utilities included – about $3,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

143

Cost of Living Index in Palm Springs, CA
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Palm Springs, CA Living Index
130

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

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Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,926

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,926 in Palm Springs, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Palm Springs, CA $2,926
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,653 in Palm Springs, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Palm Springs, CA $4,653
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,380 in Palm Springs, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Palm Springs, CA $6,380
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Palm Springs, CA is roughly 10% 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: Palm Springs, CA 117% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.42 $30.42

$20.77 $20.77

46.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.2 $75.2

$84.6 $84.6

-11.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$12.32 $12.32

-19.56%

Cappuccino

$5.50 $5.50

$5.63 $5.63

-2.31%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$3.72 $3.72

-25.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.50 $2.50

-36.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.89 $4.89

$8.05 $8.05

-39.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.76 $5.76

$9.01 $9.01

-36.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.12 $1.12

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.81 $3.81

$3.75 $3.75

1.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.93 $2.93

$3.26 $3.26

-10.12%

Eggs

$5.81 $5.81

$4.17 $4.17

39.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.03 $14.03

$12.90 $12.90

8.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$14.16 $14.16

-4.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.53 $12.53

$16.22 $16.22

-22.75%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 $5.02

$4.33 $4.33

15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.46 $1.46

54.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.41 $4.41

$4.51 $4.51

-2.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$4.34 $4.34

11.75%

Potato (1kg)

$4.59 $4.59

$2.58 $2.58

77.91%

Onion (1kg)

$4.18 $4.18

$2.35 $2.35

77.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 $2.15

$1.78 $1.78

20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.28 $2.28

$2.22 $2.22

2.70%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$9.88 $9.88

19.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 $13.74

$15.08 $15.08

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.67 $1.67

$2.92 $2.92

-42.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.46 $3.46

-22.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.49 $1.49

16.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$33.40 $33.40

$41.72 $41.72

-19.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.36 $3.36

$2.73 $2.73

23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.66 $1.66

9.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$23.53 $23.53

$35.30 $35.30

-33.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

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

$33.5K $33.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-7.10%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.31%

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

$246 $246

$229 $229

7.28%

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

$79.7 $79.7

$59.4 $59.4

34.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.7 $65.7

$69.9 $69.9

-6.05%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.53 $32.53

$57.2 $57.2

-43.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$50.1 $50.1

$16.33 $16.33

206.49%

Cinema Ticket

$12.13 $12.13

$14.28 $14.28

-15.06%

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

$541 $541

$1,506 $1,506

-64.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,450 $8,450

$21.5K $21.5K

-60.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.22 $31.22

$52.8 $52.8

-40.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.74 $34.74

$43.82 $43.82

-20.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.9 $70.9

$84.8 $84.8

-16.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$103 $103

35.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,877 $1,877

$1,907 $1,907

-1.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,496 $1,496

$1,274 $1,274

17.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,686 $3,686

$3,664 $3,664

0.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,207 $3,207

$2,538 $2,538

26.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,980 $4,980

$7,614 $7,614

-34.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,329 $3,329

$3,157 $3,157

5.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,813 $4,813

$5,121 $5,121

-6.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.68

6.79

-1.62%

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

Last update for Palm Springs, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Palm Springs, CA

$1.5K 51.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 14.8% $222

Groceries & Markets

Palm Springs, CA

$413 14.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 2.1% $8.5

Eating Out

Palm Springs, CA

$392 13.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.8% $39

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palm Springs, CA

$391 13.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 8.4% $33

Clothing & Footwear

Palm Springs, CA

$125 4.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.8% $3.5

Sport & Entertainment

Palm Springs, CA

$57 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 51% $29

Getting Around

Palm Springs, CA

$53 1.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 11.2% $5.9

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,877 in Palm Springs, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $75.0 in Palm Springs, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $413 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Palm Springs, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

2 h ahead of Palm Springs, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

44,575

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Palm Springs, CA Austin, TX 1,810 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Palm Springs, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Palm Springs, 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 6% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $1,877 in Palm Springs, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,926 per month in Palm Springs, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 10% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 25% less than in Palm Springs, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching 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 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Palm Springs, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.