Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,342 in San Francisco, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

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

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

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San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,342

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,342 in San Francisco, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Francisco, CA $4,342
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,433 in San Francisco, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Francisco, CA $6,433
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,523 in San Francisco, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Francisco, CA $8,523
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Francisco, CA is roughly 63% 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 Francisco, CA 222% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.11 $27.11

$20.77 $20.77

30.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 $120

$84.6 $84.6

42.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.06 $15.06

$12.32 $12.32

22.24%

Cappuccino

$6.06 $6.06

$5.63 $5.63

7.64%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.72 $3.72

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.75 $2.75

$2.50 $2.50

10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.83 $7.83

$8.05 $8.05

-2.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.25 $9.25

$9.01 $9.01

2.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 $1.72

$1.12 $1.12

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$5.39 $5.39

$3.75 $3.75

43.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$3.26 $3.26

46.01%

Eggs

$4.87 $4.87

$4.17 $4.17

16.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.10 $16.10

$12.90 $12.90

24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.32 $15.32

$14.16 $14.16

8.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.69 $22.69

$16.22 $16.22

39.89%

Apples (1kg)

$6.20 $6.20

$4.33 $4.33

43.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$1.46 $1.46

93.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$4.51 $4.51

-4.21%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$4.34 $4.34

53.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$2.58 $2.58

12.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.35 $2.35

58.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.81 $2.81

$1.78 $1.78

57.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 $2.59

$2.22 $2.22

16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.79 $11.79

$9.88 $9.88

19.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.62 $14.62

$15.08 $15.08

-3.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.11 $3.11

$2.92 $2.92

6.51%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.56 $3.56

$3.46 $3.46

2.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.91 $2.91

$1.49 $1.49

95.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 $95.8

$41.72 $41.72

129.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.22 $4.22

$2.73 $2.73

54.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.66 $1.66

19.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.06 $39.06

$35.30 $35.30

10.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$37.6K $37.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

4.43%

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

$25.4K $25.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-6.07%

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

$214 $214

$229 $229

-6.44%

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

$62.2 $62.2

$59.4 $59.4

4.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$76.8 $76.8

$69.9 $69.9

9.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$122 $122

$57.2 $57.2

113.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$21.47 $21.47

$16.33 $16.33

31.48%

Cinema Ticket

$17.99 $17.99

$14.28 $14.28

25.98%

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

$2,943 $2,943

$1,506 $1,506

95.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.7K $42.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

98.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.5 $76.5

$52.8 $52.8

44.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.33 $47.33

$43.82 $43.82

8.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$101 $101

$84.8 $84.8

19.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$140 $140

$103 $103

35.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,749 $3,749

$1,907 $1,907

96.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,617 $2,617

$1,274 $1,274

105.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,734 $5,734

$3,664 $3,664

56.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,530 $4,530

$2,538 $2,538

78.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,861 $9,861

$7,614 $7,614

29.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,520 $7,520

$3,157 $3,157

138.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,548 $6,548

$5,121 $5,121

27.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.79

-0.44%

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

Last update for San Francisco, 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

San Francisco, CA

$2.6K 60.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 51.3% $1.3K

Groceries & Markets

San Francisco, CA

$512 11.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 20.9% $107

Eating Out

San Francisco, CA

$416 9.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 15% $62

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Francisco, CA

$353 8.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 1.5% $5.1

Clothing & Footwear

San Francisco, CA

$164 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.1% $36

Sport & Entertainment

San Francisco, CA

$158 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 45.8% $72

Getting Around

San Francisco, CA

$122 2.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 51.7% $63

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,749 in San Francisco, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Francisco, CA pays 28% 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: $120 in San Francisco, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $512 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Francisco, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:52 8:52 AM

10:52 10:52 AM

2 h ahead of San Francisco, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

873,965

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 Francisco, CA Austin, TX 2,410 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 63% lower than in San Francisco, 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 28% higher in San Francisco, 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: $3,749 in San Francisco, 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 $4,342 per month in San Francisco, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 63% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 130% less than in San Francisco, 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 63% less than in San Francisco, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.