Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Diego, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,077 in San Diego, CA, rent and utilities included – about $17,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

197

Cost of Living Index in San Diego, CA
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San Diego, CA Living Index
130

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

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San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,077

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,077 in San Diego, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Diego, CA $4,077
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,059 in San Diego, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Diego, CA $6,059
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,041 in San Diego, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Diego, CA $8,041
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Diego, CA is roughly 53% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Diego, CA 202% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.72 $24.72

$20.77 $20.77

19.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.7 $97.7

$84.6 $84.6

15.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.25 $13.25

$12.32 $12.32

7.55%

Cappuccino

$5.96 $5.96

$5.63 $5.63

5.86%

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

$3.12 $3.12

$3.72 $3.72

-16.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.50 $2.50

4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.14 $8.14

$8.05 $8.05

1.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$11.11 $11.11

$9.01 $9.01

23.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.12 $1.12

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$5.58 $5.58

$3.75 $3.75

48.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.70 $4.70

$3.26 $3.26

44.17%

Eggs

$6.77 $6.77

$4.17 $4.17

62.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$17.12 $17.12

$12.90 $12.90

32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.30 $14.30

$14.16 $14.16

0.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.72 $20.72

$16.22 $16.22

27.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.62 $4.62

$4.33 $4.33

6.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 $1.86

$1.46 $1.46

27.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.51 $4.51

-4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$4.34 $4.34

17.05%

Potato (1kg)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.58 $2.58

20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.70 $2.70

$2.35 $2.35

14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.78 $1.78

19.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.01 $2.01

$2.22 $2.22

-9.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$9.88 $9.88

18.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$16.72 $16.72

$15.08 $15.08

10.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.92 $2.92

-26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.20 $3.20

$3.46 $3.46

-7.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.49 $1.49

65.77%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 $73.4

$41.72 $41.72

75.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.73 $2.73

9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.66 $1.66

25.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$28.38 $28.38

$35.30 $35.30

-19.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.95 $0.95

63.16%

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

$37.0K $37.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

2.63%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.31%

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

$256 $256

$229 $229

11.88%

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

$73.9 $73.9

$59.4 $59.4

24.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.4 $84.4

$69.9 $69.9

20.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 $72.9

$57.2 $57.2

27.27%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.09 $24.09

$16.33 $16.33

47.52%

Cinema Ticket

$20.21 $20.21

$14.28 $14.28

41.53%

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

$1,968 $1,968

$1,506 $1,506

30.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

67.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.4 $68.4

$52.8 $52.8

29.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 $54.7

$43.82 $43.82

24.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$114 $114

$84.8 $84.8

34.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$146 $146

$103 $103

41.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,210 $3,210

$1,907 $1,907

68.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,410 $2,410

$1,274 $1,274

89.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,499 $5,499

$3,664 $3,664

50.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,336 $4,336

$2,538 $2,538

70.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,110 $8,110

$7,614 $7,614

6.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,682 $6,682

$3,157 $3,157

111.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,975 $4,975

$5,121 $5,121

-2.84%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.7

6.79

-1.33%

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

Last update for San Diego, 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

San Diego, CA

$2.4K 59.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 47.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Diego, CA

$475 11.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 14.9% $71

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Diego, CA

$414 10.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 13.6% $56

Eating Out

San Diego, CA

$395 9.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 10.4% $41

Clothing & Footwear

San Diego, CA

$172 4.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 25.8% $45

Sport & Entertainment

San Diego, CA

$113 2.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.3% $27

Getting Around

San Diego, CA

$97 2.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 39.3% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,210 in San Diego, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 3% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $98.0 in San Diego, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $475 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Diego, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:16 5:16 PM

19:16 7:16 PM

2 h ahead of San Diego, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,386,932

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Diego, CA Austin, TX 1,860 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

San Diego, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in San Diego, 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 3% 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: $3,210 in San Diego, 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 $4,077 per month in San Diego, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 76% less than in San Diego, 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 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.

Safety-wise, San Diego, 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 53% less than in San Diego, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.