Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,483 in San Leandro, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in San Leandro, CA
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San Leandro, CA Living Index
125

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

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San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,483

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,483 in San Leandro, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

San Leandro, CA $3,483
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,059 in San Leandro, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

San Leandro, CA $5,059
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,634 in San Leandro, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

San Leandro, CA $6,634
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in San Leandro, CA is roughly 34% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Leandro, CA 156% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.50 $25.50

$20.35 $20.35

25.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$84.7 $84.7

31.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.84 $14.84

$12.12 $12.12

22.44%

Cappuccino

$6.10 $6.10

$5.65 $5.65

7.96%

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

$3.21 $3.21

$3.68 $3.68

-12.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.36 $2.36

17.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.90 $7.90

$7.87 $7.87

0.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.84 $8.84

$8.82 $8.82

0.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.14 $1.14

54.39%

White Bread (500g)

$5.24 $5.24

$3.69 $3.69

42.01%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$3.31 $3.31

46.83%

Eggs

$5.84 $5.84

$4.15 $4.15

40.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.22 $15.22

$12.98 $12.98

17.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.05 $13.05

$13.86 $13.86

-5.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.80 $22.80

$16.34 $16.34

39.53%

Apples (1kg)

$6.07 $6.07

$4.69 $4.69

29.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.45 $1.45

5.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.42 $4.42

$5.11 $5.11

-13.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.46 $6.46

$4.52 $4.52

42.92%

Potato (1kg)

$3.00 $3.00

$3.08 $3.08

-2.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.72 $2.72

$2.38 $2.38

14.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.80 $1.80

12.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 $1.99

$2.22 $2.22

-10.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.95 $11.95

$9.97 $9.97

19.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.36 $14.36

$15.05 $15.05

-4.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.74 $1.74

$2.91 $2.91

-40.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.70 $3.70

$3.33 $3.33

11.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.70 $5.70

$1.22 $1.22

367.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.6 $97.6

$40.53 $40.53

140.83%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.23 $4.23

$2.78 $2.78

52.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.00 $2.00

$1.65 $1.65

21.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$38.81 $38.81

$35.39 $35.39

9.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.95 $0.95

64.21%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.2K $34.2K

-20.42%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$26.8K $26.8K

-2.13%

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

$240 $240

$223 $223

7.79%

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

$50.9 $50.9

$58.5 $58.5

-12.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$77.0 $77.0

$71.2 $71.2

8.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.58 $49.58

$53.0 $53.0

-6.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$16.03 $16.03

$14.06 $14.06

14.01%

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

$2,923 $2,923

$1,459 $1,459

100.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.1K $43.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

101.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.4 $66.4

$52.5 $52.5

26.44%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$39.43 $39.43

$42.75 $42.75

-7.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.3 $88.3

$86.4 $86.4

2.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$104 $104

16.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,357 $2,357

$2,112 $2,112

11.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,882 $1,882

$1,230 $1,230

52.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,652 $3,652

$3,863 $3,863

-5.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,985 $2,985

$2,407 $2,407

24.03%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,091 $5,091

$7,426 $7,426

-31.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,028 $4,028

$3,060 $3,060

31.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,390 $5,390

$5,179 $5,179

4.07%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.76

6.82

-0.88%

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

Last update for San Leandro, CA: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

San Leandro, CA

$1.9K 54%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 34.6% $651

Groceries & Markets

San Leandro, CA

$473 13.6%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 13.3% $63

Eating Out

San Leandro, CA

$403 11.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 13.6% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Leandro, CA

$368 10.6%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 4.2% $16

Clothing & Footwear

San Leandro, CA

$142 4.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 9.3% $13

Getting Around

San Leandro, CA

$135 3.9%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 58.1% $78

Sport & Entertainment

San Leandro, CA

$82 2.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 0.6% $0.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,357 in San Leandro, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Leandro, CA pays 4% 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: $111 in San Leandro, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $473 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Leandro, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:13 3:13 PM

17:13 5:13 PM

2 h ahead of San Leandro, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

88,815

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Leandro, CA Austin, TX 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in San Leandro, 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 4% higher in San Leandro, 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: $2,357 in San Leandro, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,483 per month in San Leandro, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 25% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 58% less than in San Leandro, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in San Leandro, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.