Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in San Dimas, CA: $2,463 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

San Dimas, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,463
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,463 in San Dimas, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

  • San Dimas, CA $2,463
  • Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,607 in San Dimas, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

  • San Dimas, CA $3,607
  • Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,750 in San Dimas, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

  • San Dimas, CA $4,750
  • Austin, TX $5,622

Living in San Dimas, CA costs roughly 9% 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 Dimas, CA 82% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$11.90 $11.90
$20.63 $20.63
-42.32%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$49.37 $49.37
$84.6 $84.6
-41.62%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.88 $8.88
$12.07 $12.07
-26.43%
Cappuccino
$5.85 $5.85
$5.48 $5.48
6.75%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.52 $3.52
$3.80 $3.80
-7.37%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.46 $2.46
$2.47 $2.47
-0.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$7.59 $7.59
$8.05 $8.05
-5.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.21 $8.21
$8.88 $8.88
-7.55%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.09 $1.09
$1.11 $1.11
-1.80%
White Bread (500g)
$4.07 $4.07
$3.72 $3.72
9.41%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$4.80 $4.80
$3.37 $3.37
42.43%
Eggs
$4.61 $4.61
$4.32 $4.32
6.71%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.96 $12.96
$13.13 $13.13
-1.29%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$20.43 $20.43
$14.15 $14.15
44.38%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.16 $15.16
$16.33 $16.33
-7.16%
Apples (1kg)
$4.91 $4.91
$4.55 $4.55
7.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.68 $1.68
$1.46 $1.46
15.07%
Oranges (1kg)
$5.53 $5.53
$4.71 $4.71
17.41%
Tomato (1kg)
$5.85 $5.85
$4.15 $4.15
40.96%
Potato (1kg)
$3.76 $3.76
$2.58 $2.58
45.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.22 $2.22
$2.35 $2.35
-5.53%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.99 $1.99
$1.77 $1.77
12.43%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.84 $1.84
$2.14 $2.14
-14.02%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.65 $11.65
$10.10 $10.10
15.35%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.16 $15.16
$15.19 $15.19
-0.20%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.99 $1.99
$2.82 $2.82
-29.43%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.24 $4.24
$3.44 $3.44
23.26%
🚌 Getting Around
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.70 $1.70
$1.54 $1.54
10.39%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.99 $40.99
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$6.15 $6.15
$2.80 $2.80
119.64%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.60 $1.60
10.62%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$26.08 $26.08
$34.34 $34.34
-24.05%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.56 $1.56
$0.94 $0.94
65.96%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$28.9K $28.9K
$34.0K $34.0K
-14.92%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.7K $26.7K
$26.8K $26.8K
-0.19%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$167 $167
$223 $223
-25.17%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$67.9 $67.9
$58.9 $58.9
15.30%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$59.7 $59.7
$70.6 $70.6
-15.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$41.86 $41.86
$57.7 $57.7
-27.45%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.53 $16.53
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.89 $14.89
$14.26 $14.26
4.42%
🧸 Childcare & Education
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,935 $1,935
$1,511 $1,511
28.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$26.1K $26.1K
$20.9K $20.9K
24.90%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$57.6 $57.6
$51.3 $51.3
12.27%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$39.34 $39.34
$44.17 $44.17
-10.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.9 $93.9
$87.0 $87.0
7.93%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$146 $146
$104 $104
40.17%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,616 $1,616
$1,940 $1,940
-16.70%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,197 $1,197
$1,316 $1,316
-9.03%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,554 $2,554
$3,664 $3,664
-30.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,036 $2,036
$2,565 $2,565
-20.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$2,691 $2,691
$7,354 $7,354
-63.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$2,449 $2,449
$3,129 $3,129
-21.73%
💵 Salaries & Financials
San Dimas, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$4,063 $4,063
$5,286 $5,286
-23.14%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.39
6.79
-5.89%

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

Last update for San Dimas, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
San Dimas, CA
$1.2K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 9.9% $119
Groceries & Markets
San Dimas, CA
$456
Austin, TX
$406 11% $50
Monthly Utilities & Internet
San Dimas, CA
$294
Austin, TX
$352 19.7% $58
Eating Out
San Dimas, CA
$270
Austin, TX
$350 29.5% $80
Clothing & Footwear
San Dimas, CA
$152
Austin, TX
$129 14.9% $23
Sport & Entertainment
San Dimas, CA
$72
Austin, TX
$86 20.4% $15
Getting Around
San Dimas, CA
$22 *
Austin, TX
$58 166% $36

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 $1,616 in San Dimas, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% 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: $49.00 in San Dimas, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $456 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 San Dimas, CA
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
12:04 12:04 PM
14:04 2:04 PM
2 h ahead of San Dimas, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
35,714
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 21, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • San Dimas, CA Austin, TX 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight
From you
  • San Dimas, 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 Dimas, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, San Dimas, CA or Austin, TX?
San Dimas, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 10% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Dimas, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in San Dimas, CA or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 30% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in San Dimas, CA compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,616 in San Dimas, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in San Dimas, CA and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $1,935 in San Dimas, CA versus $1,511 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in San Dimas, CA and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in San Dimas, CA – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in San Dimas, CA or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. San Dimas, CA 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: San Dimas, 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 San Dimas, CA compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, San Dimas, 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 San Dimas, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 10% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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