Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,590 in Pasadena, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Pasadena, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

173

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

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

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Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,590

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,590 in Pasadena, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Pasadena, CA $3,590
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,100 in Pasadena, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Pasadena, CA $5,100
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,609 in Pasadena, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Pasadena, CA $6,609
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Pasadena, CA is roughly 38% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pasadena, CA 164% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.03 $18.03

$20.35 $20.35

-11.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.4 $76.4

$84.7 $84.7

-9.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.91 $9.91

$12.12 $12.12

-18.23%

Cappuccino

$4.81 $4.81

$5.65 $5.65

-14.87%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$3.68 $3.68

-24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.36 $2.36

-33.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.94 $4.94

$7.87 $7.87

-37.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.87 $5.87

$8.82 $8.82

-33.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.14 $1.14

17.54%

White Bread (500g)

$3.87 $3.87

$3.69 $3.69

4.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$3.31 $3.31

-15.11%

Eggs

$5.20 $5.20

$4.15 $4.15

25.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 $13.81

$12.98 $12.98

6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 $13.48

$13.86 $13.86

-2.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.44 $12.44

$16.34 $16.34

-23.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$4.69 $4.69

0.64%

Banana (1kg)

$2.25 $2.25

$1.45 $1.45

55.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.37 $4.37

$5.11 $5.11

-14.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.01 $6.01

$4.52 $4.52

32.96%

Potato (1kg)

$4.50 $4.50

$3.08 $3.08

46.10%

Onion (1kg)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.38 $2.38

0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.80 $1.80

3.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.15 $2.15

$2.22 $2.22

-3.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.92 $11.92

$9.97 $9.97

19.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.89 $10.89

$15.05 $15.05

-27.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.91 $2.91

-43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 $1.81

$3.33 $3.33

-45.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.22 $1.22

40.98%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$51.0 $51.0

$40.53 $40.53

25.76%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.41 $3.41

$2.78 $2.78

22.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.65 $1.65

14.55%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.30 $24.30

$35.39 $35.39

-31.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.59 $1.59

$0.95 $0.95

67.37%

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

$27.7K $27.7K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.04%

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

$25.7K $25.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-4.03%

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

$249 $249

$223 $223

11.76%

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

$59.5 $59.5

$58.5 $58.5

1.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.9 $65.9

$71.2 $71.2

-7.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$25.12 $25.12

$53.0 $53.0

-52.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.52 $34.52

$16.75 $16.75

106.09%

Cinema Ticket

$12.12 $12.12

$14.06 $14.06

-13.80%

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

$3,909 $3,909

$1,459 $1,459

167.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.7K $14.7K

$21.3K $21.3K

-30.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.13 $31.13

$52.5 $52.5

-40.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 $34.65

$42.75 $42.75

-18.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.8 $70.8

$86.4 $86.4

-18.04%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$141 $141

$104 $104

35.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,070 $3,070

$2,112 $2,112

45.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,285 $2,285

$1,230 $1,230

85.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,691 $4,691

$3,863 $3,863

21.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,729 $3,729

$2,407 $2,407

54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,964 $8,964

$7,426 $7,426

20.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,058 $9,058

$3,060 $3,060

196.01%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,466 $5,466

$5,179 $5,179

5.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.33

6.82

-7.18%

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

Last update for Pasadena, CA: October 24, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pasadena, CA

$2.3K 63.6%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 46.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Pasadena, CA

$400 11.2%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 2.4% $9.6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pasadena, CA

$375 10.4%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 5.9% $22

Eating Out

Pasadena, CA

$286 8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 21.9% $63

Clothing & Footwear

Pasadena, CA

$125 3.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 2.8% $3.5

Getting Around

Pasadena, CA

$71 2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 20.1% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Pasadena, CA

$49 1.4%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 64.4% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,070 in Pasadena, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pasadena, CA pays 6% 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: $76 in Pasadena, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $400 vs $410 per month, with Pasadena, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pasadena, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:43 6:43 AM

08:43 8:43 AM

2 h ahead of Pasadena, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

137,122

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Pasadena, CA Austin, TX 1,960 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Pasadena, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Pasadena, 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 6% higher in Pasadena, 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: $3,070 in Pasadena, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,909 in Pasadena, 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 Pasadena, CA – a meal for two runs $76 versus $85 in Austin, TX. 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, Pasadena, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.