Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Antonio, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio, TX: $2,438 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

118

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio, TX
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San Antonio, TX Living Index
130

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

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San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,438

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,438 in San Antonio, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Antonio, TX $2,438
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,670 in San Antonio, TX versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Antonio, TX $3,670
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,902 in San Antonio, TX versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Antonio, TX $4,902
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Antonio, TX costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Antonio, TX 81% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.05 $18.05

$20.77 $20.77

-13.10%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 $69.9

$84.6 $84.6

-17.41%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.71 $10.71

$12.32 $12.32

-13.07%

Cappuccino

$5.24 $5.24

$5.63 $5.63

-6.93%

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

$2.66 $2.66

$3.72 $3.72

-28.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.50 $2.50

-30.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.31 $5.31

$8.05 $8.05

-34.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.85 $5.85

$9.01 $9.01

-35.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 $1.15

$1.12 $1.12

2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.30 $3.30

$3.75 $3.75

-12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.45 $4.45

$3.26 $3.26

36.50%

Eggs

$3.87 $3.87

$4.17 $4.17

-7.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.12 $12.12

$12.90 $12.90

-6.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.63 $11.63

$14.16 $14.16

-17.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.83 $17.83

$16.22 $16.22

9.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.83 $4.83

$4.33 $4.33

11.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.46 $1.46

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 $4.49

$4.51 $4.51

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.59 $3.59

$4.34 $4.34

-17.28%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 $2.57

$2.58 $2.58

-0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.35 $2.35

28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.93 $1.93

$1.78 $1.78

8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.21 $2.21

$2.22 $2.22

-0.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 $9.53

$9.88 $9.88

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.85 $14.85

$15.08 $15.08

-1.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.92 $2.92

-5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.46 $3.46

-1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.28 $1.28

$1.49 $1.49

-14.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$38.55 $38.55

$41.72 $41.72

-7.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.43 $3.43

$2.73 $2.73

25.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.66 $1.66

10.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.05 $24.05

$35.30 $35.30

-31.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$0.95 $0.95

-4.21%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.71%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.12%

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

$213 $213

$229 $229

-7.17%

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

$72.1 $72.1

$59.4 $59.4

21.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.5 $77.5

$69.9 $69.9

10.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.72 $36.72

$57.2 $57.2

-35.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.61 $20.61

$16.33 $16.33

26.21%

Cinema Ticket

$14.36 $14.36

$14.28 $14.28

0.56%

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

$1,278 $1,278

$1,506 $1,506

-15.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.2K $19.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-10.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.1 $52.1

$52.8 $52.8

-1.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.85 $49.85

$43.82 $43.82

13.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$138 $138

$84.8 $84.8

62.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$149 $149

$103 $103

44.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,478 $1,478

$1,907 $1,907

-22.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,090 $1,090

$1,274 $1,274

-14.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,858 $2,858

$3,664 $3,664

-22.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 $1,968

$2,538 $2,538

-22.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,499 $4,499

$7,614 $7,614

-40.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,794 $1,794

$3,157 $3,157

-43.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,128 $4,128

$5,121 $5,121

-19.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.44

6.79

-5.15%

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

Last update for San Antonio, TX: 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

San Antonio, TX

$1.1K 44.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 16.9% $184

Groceries & Markets

San Antonio, TX

$394 16.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 2.7% $11

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Antonio, TX

$362 14.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1% $3.8

Eating Out

San Antonio, TX

$295 12.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.9% $59

Clothing & Footwear

San Antonio, TX

$175 7.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.8% $47

Sport & Entertainment

San Antonio, TX

$65 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 31.1% $20

Getting Around

San Antonio, TX

$56 2.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 4.2% $2.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,478 in San Antonio, TX and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% 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: $70.0 in San Antonio, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $394 vs $405 per month, with San Antonio, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Antonio, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:44 10:44 AM

Same time as San Antonio, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,434,625

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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San Antonio, TX Austin, TX 120 km

From you

San Antonio, 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

San Antonio, TX vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Antonio, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Antonio, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 24% 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: $1,478 in San Antonio, TX 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 $2,438 per month in San Antonio, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Antonio, TX runs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Antonio, 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.

Expats usually find San Antonio, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.