Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,860 in Pleasanton, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

185

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

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

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Pleasanton, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,860

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,860 in Pleasanton, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Pleasanton, CA $3,860
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,385 in Pleasanton, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Pleasanton, CA $5,385
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,911 in Pleasanton, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Pleasanton, CA $6,911
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Pleasanton, CA is roughly 48% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Pleasanton, CA 184% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.19 $20.19

$20.35 $20.35

-0.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.4 $75.4

$84.7 $84.7

-10.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.83 $14.83

$12.12 $12.12

22.36%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$5.65 $5.65

1.06%

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

$2.63 $2.63

$3.68 $3.68

-28.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.36 $2.36

15.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.95 $7.95

$7.87 $7.87

1.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.14 $1.14

21.93%

White Bread (500g)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.69 $3.69

29.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.31 $3.31

42.30%

Eggs

$4.81 $4.81

$4.15 $4.15

15.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.51 $9.51

$12.98 $12.98

-26.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.21 $15.21

$13.86 $13.86

9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.13 $22.13

$16.34 $16.34

35.43%

Apples (1kg)

$6.18 $6.18

$4.69 $4.69

31.77%

Banana (1kg)

$2.65 $2.65

$1.45 $1.45

82.76%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.29 $4.29

$5.11 $5.11

-16.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.82 $6.82

$4.52 $4.52

50.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.86 $2.86

$3.08 $3.08

-7.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 $3.74

$2.38 $2.38

57.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.80 $1.80

56.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.22 $2.22

18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.83 $11.83

$9.97 $9.97

18.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.40 $14.40

$15.05 $15.05

-4.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.91 $2.91

11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.33 $3.33

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.22 $1.22

59.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$58.9 $58.9

$40.53 $40.53

45.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.78 $2.78

5.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.65 $1.65

19.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.44 $39.44

$35.39 $35.39

11.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.95 $0.95

57.89%

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

$27.9K $27.9K

$34.2K $34.2K

-18.30%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.08%

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

$129 $129

$223 $223

-42.15%

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

$51.9 $51.9

$58.5 $58.5

-11.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$75.1 $75.1

$71.2 $71.2

5.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.9 $60.9

$53.0 $53.0

14.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$17.80 $17.80

$14.06 $14.06

26.60%

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

$2,075 $2,075

$1,459 $1,459

42.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.6K $36.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

71.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$39.60 $39.60

$52.5 $52.5

-24.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.41 $38.41

$42.75 $42.75

-10.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$70.2 $70.2

$86.4 $86.4

-18.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$95.0 $95.0

$104 $104

-8.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 $3,067

$2,112 $2,112

45.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,485 $2,485

$1,230 $1,230

101.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,401 $4,401

$3,863 $3,863

13.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,816 $3,816

$2,407 $2,407

58.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,690 $8,690

$7,426 $7,426

17.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,870 $7,870

$3,060 $3,060

157.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,103 $8,103

$5,179 $5,179

56.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.51

6.82

-4.55%

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

Last update for Pleasanton, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Pleasanton, CA

$2.5K 64.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 50.5% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

Pleasanton, CA

$480 12.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 14.6% $70

Eating Out

Pleasanton, CA

$353 9.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 1.5% $5.2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Pleasanton, CA

$256 6.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 37.8% $97

Clothing & Footwear

Pleasanton, CA

$109 2.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 17.4% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Pleasanton, CA

$97 2.5%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 15.9% $15

Getting Around

Pleasanton, CA

$79 2.1%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 29% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,067 in Pleasanton, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Pleasanton, CA pays 56% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $75 in Pleasanton, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $480 vs $410, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Pleasanton, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:22 8:22 PM

22:22 10:22 PM

2 h ahead of Pleasanton, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

81,777

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Pleasanton, CA Austin, TX 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Pleasanton, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Pleasanton, 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 56% higher in Pleasanton, 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: $3,067 in Pleasanton, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,860 per month in Pleasanton, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 32% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 31% less than in Pleasanton, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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.

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