Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Paso Robles, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Paso Robles, CA and in Austin, TX: $2,738 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

133

Cost of Living Index in Paso Robles, CA
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Paso Robles, CA Living Index
130

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

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Paso Robles, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$2,738

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,738 in Paso Robles, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Paso Robles, CA $2,738
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,319 in Paso Robles, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Paso Robles, CA $4,319
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,900 in Paso Robles, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Paso Robles, CA $5,900
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Paso Robles, CA is roughly 3% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Paso Robles, CA 103% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.70 $24.70

$20.77 $20.77

18.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$102 $102

$84.6 $84.6

20.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.47 $11.47

$12.32 $12.32

-6.90%

Cappuccino

$5.27 $5.27

$5.63 $5.63

-6.39%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$3.72 $3.72

-34.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 $1.48

$2.50 $2.50

-40.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.19 $8.19

$8.05 $8.05

1.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 $6.06

$9.01 $9.01

-32.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.12 $1.12

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.75 $3.75

-42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.36 $3.36

$3.26 $3.26

3.07%

Eggs

$3.33 $3.33

$4.17 $4.17

-20.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.18 $15.18

$12.90 $12.90

17.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.64 $5.64

$14.16 $14.16

-60.17%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.58 $8.58

$16.22 $16.22

-47.10%

Apples (1kg)

$3.23 $3.23

$4.33 $4.33

-25.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.07 $1.07

$1.46 $1.46

-26.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.16 $2.16

$4.51 $4.51

-52.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$4.34 $4.34

-30.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.39 $1.39

$2.58 $2.58

-46.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.35 $2.35

-30.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.37 $2.37

$1.78 $1.78

33.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.22 $2.22

-34.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.66 $11.66

$9.88 $9.88

18.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.29 $14.29

$15.08 $15.08

-5.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.92 $2.92

-26.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$3.46 $3.46

-3.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.46 $5.46

$1.49 $1.49

266.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.3 $67.3

$41.72 $41.72

61.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.96 $5.96

$2.73 $2.73

118.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.33 $2.33

$1.66 $1.66

40.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.2 $50.2

$35.30 $35.30

42.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 $1.35

$0.95 $0.95

42.11%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.73%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.25%

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

$364 $364

$229 $229

58.85%

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

$58.2 $58.2

$59.4 $59.4

-2.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.5 $64.5

$69.9 $69.9

-7.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.94 $41.94

$57.2 $57.2

-26.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.84 $9.84

$16.33 $16.33

-39.74%

Cinema Ticket

$12.19 $12.19

$14.28 $14.28

-14.64%

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

$2,479 $2,479

$1,506 $1,506

64.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.4K $30.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

41.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$49.79 $49.79

$52.8 $52.8

-5.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.46 $34.46

$43.82 $43.82

-21.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.6 $82.6

$84.8 $84.8

-2.54%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$111 $111

$103 $103

7.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,093 $2,093

$1,907 $1,907

9.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,299 $1,299

$1,274 $1,274

1.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,472 $3,472

$3,664 $3,664

-5.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,810 $2,810

$2,538 $2,538

10.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,331 $6,331

$7,614 $7,614

-16.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,378 $6,378

$3,157 $3,157

102.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,965 $2,965

$5,121 $5,121

-42.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

6.79

-4.71%

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

Last update for Paso Robles, 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

Paso Robles, CA

$1.3K 47.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1.9% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Paso Robles, CA

$486 17.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 26.3% $128

Eating Out

Paso Robles, CA

$364 13.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 2.8% $10

Groceries & Markets

Paso Robles, CA

$290 10.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 39.3% $114

Clothing & Footwear

Paso Robles, CA

$125 4.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.3% $2.9

Getting Around

Paso Robles, CA

$107 3.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 45% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Paso Robles, CA

$66 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 29.4% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,093 in Paso Robles, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 73% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $102 in Paso Robles, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $290 vs $405, with Paso Robles, CA cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Paso Robles, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:37 12:37 PM

14:37 2:37 PM

2 h ahead of Paso Robles, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

29,793

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

Paso Robles, CA Austin, TX 2,220 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Paso Robles, CA
Austin, TX

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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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Paso Robles, 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 73% 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: $2,093 in Paso Robles, 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 $2,738 per month in Paso Robles, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 61% less than in Paso Robles, 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 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, Paso Robles, 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 3% less than in Paso Robles, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.