Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Redwood City, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,197 in Redwood City, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

Cost of Living Index in Redwood City, CA
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Redwood City, CA Living Index
130

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

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Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,197

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,197 in Redwood City, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Redwood City, CA $4,197
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,241 in Redwood City, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Redwood City, CA $6,241
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,286 in Redwood City, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Redwood City, CA $8,286
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Redwood City, CA is roughly 58% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Redwood City, CA 211% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.04 $25.04

$20.77 $20.77

20.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$110 $110

$84.6 $84.6

29.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.44 $13.44

$12.32 $12.32

9.09%

Cappuccino

$5.64 $5.64

$5.63 $5.63

0.18%

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

$3.23 $3.23

$3.72 $3.72

-13.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.65 $2.65

$2.50 $2.50

6.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.05 $8.05

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.87 $8.87

$9.01 $9.01

-1.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.12 $1.12

36.61%

White Bread (500g)

$5.37 $5.37

$3.75 $3.75

43.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.26 $3.26

49.08%

Eggs

$7.74 $7.74

$4.17 $4.17

85.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.07 $15.07

$12.90 $12.90

16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.63 $10.63

$14.16 $14.16

-24.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.61 $19.61

$16.22 $16.22

20.90%

Apples (1kg)

$6.25 $6.25

$4.33 $4.33

44.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$1.46 $1.46

95.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.48 $4.48

$4.51 $4.51

-0.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.22 $6.22

$4.34 $4.34

43.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.58 $2.58

15.89%

Onion (1kg)

$3.65 $3.65

$2.35 $2.35

55.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.78 $1.78

56.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.22 $2.22

18.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.85 $11.85

$9.88 $9.88

19.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.28 $20.28

$15.08 $15.08

34.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.64 $2.64

$2.92 $2.92

-9.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.46 $3.46

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.78 $4.78

$1.49 $1.49

220.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.25 $4.25

$2.73 $2.73

55.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.21 $1.21

$1.66 $1.66

-27.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.38 $38.38

$35.30 $35.30

8.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.57 $1.57

$0.95 $0.95

65.26%

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

$37.4K $37.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

3.79%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-1.99%

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

$237 $237

$229 $229

3.57%

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

$53.7 $53.7

$59.4 $59.4

-9.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.5 $69.5

$69.9 $69.9

-0.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$239 $239

$57.2 $57.2

317.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.93 $29.93

$16.33 $16.33

83.28%

Cinema Ticket

$17.91 $17.91

$14.28 $14.28

25.42%

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

$2,907 $2,907

$1,506 $1,506

93.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.0K $43.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

100.61%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.86 $45.86

$52.8 $52.8

-13.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.04 $25.04

$43.82 $43.82

-42.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.8 $98.8

$84.8 $84.8

16.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$103 $103

10.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,248 $4,248

$1,907 $1,907

122.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,521 $2,521

$1,274 $1,274

97.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,692 $5,692

$3,664 $3,664

55.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,469 $4,469

$2,538 $2,538

76.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,008 $8,008

$5,121 $5,121

56.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.79

0.44%

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

Last update for Redwood City, CA: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Redwood City, CA

$2.5K 60.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 49.5% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Redwood City, CA

$493 11.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 18% $89

Eating Out

Redwood City, CA

$390 9.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.4% $37

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Redwood City, CA

$360 8.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 0.6% $2.1

Sport & Entertainment

Redwood City, CA

$275 6.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 68.8% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Redwood City, CA

$128 3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 0.3% $0.4

Getting Around

Redwood City, CA

$29 * 0.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 99.5% $29

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 $4,248 in Redwood City, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Redwood City, CA pays 56% 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: $110 in Redwood City, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $493 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Redwood City, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

20:46 8:46 PM

2 h ahead of Redwood City, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,314

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

Redwood City, CA Austin, TX 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Redwood City, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Redwood City, 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 Redwood City, 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: $4,248 in Redwood City, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,907 in Redwood City, CA versus $1,506 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 Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $110 in Redwood City, CA. 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 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 58% less than in Redwood City, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.