Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Rancho Cucamonga, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$3,385
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,385 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Rancho Cucamonga, CA $3,385
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,782 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Rancho Cucamonga, CA $4,782
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,179 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Rancho Cucamonga, CA $6,179
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Rancho Cucamonga, CA is roughly 27% 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: Rancho Cucamonga, CA 151% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$24.89 $24.89
$20.77 $20.77
19.84%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$80.9 $80.9
$84.6 $84.6
-4.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$15.87 $15.87
$12.32 $12.32
28.81%
Cappuccino
$5.64 $5.64
$5.63 $5.63
0.18%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.15 $3.15
$3.72 $3.72
-15.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.33 $2.33
$2.50 $2.50
-6.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.54 $7.54
$8.05 $8.05
-6.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.24 $9.24
$9.01 $9.01
2.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.23 $1.23
$1.12 $1.12
9.82%
White Bread (500g)
$4.21 $4.21
$3.75 $3.75
12.27%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$3.26 $3.26
47.24%
Eggs
$4.82 $4.82
$4.17 $4.17
15.59%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$12.90 $12.90
1.78%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.92 $10.92
$14.16 $14.16
-22.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.14 $15.14
$16.22 $16.22
-6.66%
Apples (1kg)
$4.87 $4.87
$4.33 $4.33
12.47%
Banana (1kg)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.46 $1.46
71.23%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.43 $5.43
$4.51 $4.51
20.40%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.70 $5.70
$4.34 $4.34
31.34%
Potato (1kg)
$3.74 $3.74
$2.58 $2.58
44.96%
Onion (1kg)
$3.04 $3.04
$2.35 $2.35
29.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.78 $1.78
21.35%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.54 $2.54
$2.22 $2.22
14.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.78 $11.78
$9.88 $9.88
19.23%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.97 $14.97
$15.08 $15.08
-0.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.48 $2.48
$2.92 $2.92
-15.07%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.10 $4.10
$3.46 $3.46
18.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.97 $1.97
$1.49 $1.49
32.21%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$59.4 $59.4
$41.72 $41.72
42.28%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.73 $2.73
-8.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.66 $1.66
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$35.30 $35.30
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.48 $1.48
$0.95 $0.95
55.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.4K $37.4K
$36.0K $36.0K
3.85%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.3K $26.3K
$27.1K $27.1K
-2.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$220 $220
$229 $229
-3.96%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$72.4 $72.4
$59.4 $59.4
21.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$72.9 $72.9
$69.9 $69.9
4.29%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$23.28 $23.28
$57.2 $57.2
-59.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$9.85 $9.85
$16.33 $16.33
-39.68%
Cinema Ticket
$17.30 $17.30
$14.28 $14.28
21.15%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,005 $1,005
$1,506 $1,506
-33.26%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$21.5K $21.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$58.1 $58.1
$52.8 $52.8
10.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.54 $39.54
$43.82 $43.82
-9.77%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 $107
$84.8 $84.8
25.96%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$145 $145
$103 $103
40.39%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,467 $2,467
$1,907 $1,907
29.35%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,914 $1,914
$1,274 $1,274
50.22%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,828 $3,828
$3,664 $3,664
4.46%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,947 $2,947
$2,538 $2,538
16.09%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,614 $7,614
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,157 $3,157
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,140 $5,140
$5,121 $5,121
0.38%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.31
6.79
-7.07%

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

Last update for Rancho Cucamonga, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$1.9K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 33.4% $640
Groceries & Markets
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$429
Austin, TX
$405 5.6% $24
Eating Out
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$393
Austin, TX
$354 9.9% $39
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$365
Austin, TX
$358 1.9% $6.9
Clothing & Footwear
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$157
Austin, TX
$128 18.5% $29
Getting Around
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$70 *
Austin, TX
$59 15.8% $11
Sport & Entertainment
Rancho Cucamonga, CA
$58
Austin, TX
$86 48.2% $28

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rancho Cucamonga, CA pays 0% 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: $81.0 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $429 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Rancho Cucamonga, CA
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
10:19 10:19 AM
12:19 12:19 PM
2 h ahead of Rancho Cucamonga, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
170,714
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Rancho Cucamonga, CA Austin, TX 1,910 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Rancho Cucamonga, 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
Rancho Cucamonga, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Rancho Cucamonga, CA or Austin, TX?
Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Rancho Cucamonga, CA or in Austin, TX?
Average pay runs 0% higher in Rancho Cucamonga, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Rancho Cucamonga, CA compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $2,467 in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Rancho Cucamonga, CA compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $3,385 per month in Rancho Cucamonga, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Rancho Cucamonga, CA compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 42% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Rancho Cucamonga, CA or in Austin, TX?
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.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Rancho Cucamonga, CA or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Rancho Cucamonga, CA compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Rancho Cucamonga, 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Rancho Cucamonga, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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