Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,378 in San Jose, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

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

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

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San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,378

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,378 in San Jose, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Jose, CA $4,378
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,147 in San Jose, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Jose, CA $6,147
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,916 in San Jose, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Jose, CA $7,916
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Jose, CA is roughly 64% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Jose, CA 224% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.37 $22.37

$20.77 $20.77

7.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$99.9 $99.9

$84.6 $84.6

18.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.95 $11.95

$12.32 $12.32

-3.00%

Cappuccino

$5.95 $5.95

$5.63 $5.63

5.68%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.72 $3.72

-13.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 $2.34

$2.50 $2.50

-6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$9.08 $9.08

$8.05 $8.05

12.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.83 $9.83

$9.01 $9.01

9.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.12 $1.12

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.75 $3.75

21.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.01 $4.01

$3.26 $3.26

23.01%

Eggs

$5.89 $5.89

$4.17 $4.17

41.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.91 $19.91

$12.90 $12.90

54.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.27 $14.27

$14.16 $14.16

0.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.06 $22.06

$16.22 $16.22

36.00%

Apples (1kg)

$5.15 $5.15

$4.33 $4.33

18.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.46 $1.46

31.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.63 $5.63

$4.51 $4.51

24.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.58 $5.58

$4.34 $4.34

28.57%

Potato (1kg)

$3.64 $3.64

$2.58 $2.58

41.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.88 $2.88

$2.35 $2.35

22.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.78 $1.78

38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.22 $2.22

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.73 $11.73

$9.88 $9.88

18.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.70 $15.70

$15.08 $15.08

4.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$2.92 $2.92

-16.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.38 $3.38

$3.46 $3.46

-2.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.45 $2.45

$1.49 $1.49

64.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$41.72 $41.72

114.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.52 $3.52

$2.73 $2.73

28.94%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.97 $2.97

$1.66 $1.66

78.92%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.48 $30.48

$35.30 $35.30

-13.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 $1.51

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.71%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.94%

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

$273 $273

$229 $229

19.26%

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

$47.11 $47.11

$59.4 $59.4

-20.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$84.3 $84.3

$69.9 $69.9

20.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$142 $142

$57.2 $57.2

148.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$24.45 $24.45

$16.33 $16.33

49.72%

Cinema Ticket

$16.89 $16.89

$14.28 $14.28

18.28%

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

$1,829 $1,829

$1,506 $1,506

21.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$39.2K $39.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

82.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.3 $59.3

$52.8 $52.8

12.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.4 $50.4

$43.82 $43.82

15.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 $98.7

$84.8 $84.8

16.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$103 $103

17.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,133 $3,133

$1,907 $1,907

64.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,665 $2,665

$1,274 $1,274

109.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,768 $4,768

$3,664 $3,664

30.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,128 $4,128

$2,538 $2,538

62.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,009 $9,009

$7,614 $7,614

18.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$9,111 $9,111

$3,157 $3,157

188.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,253 $6,253

$5,121 $5,121

22.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.67

6.79

-1.77%

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

Last update for San Jose, 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 Jose, CA

$2.7K 60.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 52.2% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

San Jose, CA

$493 11.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 18% $89

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Jose, CA

$404 9.2%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 11.4% $46

Eating Out

San Jose, CA

$374 8.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 5.3% $20

Sport & Entertainment

San Jose, CA

$176 4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 51.2% $90

Clothing & Footwear

San Jose, CA

$148 3.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 13.8% $20

Getting Around

San Jose, CA

$117 2.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 50% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,133 in San Jose, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Jose, CA pays 22% 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: $100 in San Jose, 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

🇺🇸 San Jose, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:17 10:17 AM

12:17 12:17 PM

2 h ahead of San Jose, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,035,317

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

San Jose, CA Austin, TX 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 64% lower than in San Jose, 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 22% higher in San Jose, 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: $3,133 in San Jose, 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 $4,378 per month in San Jose, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 64% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 114% less than in San Jose, 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 Jose, 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 64% less than in San Jose, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.