Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Luis Obispo, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

161

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Obispo, CA
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San Luis Obispo, CA Living Index
125

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

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San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,315

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,315 in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

San Luis Obispo, CA $3,315
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,816 in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

San Luis Obispo, CA $4,816
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,317 in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

San Luis Obispo, CA $6,317
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in San Luis Obispo, CA is roughly 27% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Luis Obispo, CA 144% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.68 $23.68

$20.35 $20.35

16.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.1 $60.1

$84.7 $84.7

-29.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.82 $12.82

$12.12 $12.12

5.78%

Cappuccino

$6.37 $6.37

$5.65 $5.65

12.74%

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

$2.85 $2.85

$3.68 $3.68

-22.55%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.36 $2.36

5.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.09 $8.09

$7.87 $7.87

2.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.82 $8.82

-10.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.14 $1.14

1.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.46 $4.46

$3.69 $3.69

20.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.40 $5.40

$3.31 $3.31

63.14%

Eggs

$4.65 $4.65

$4.15 $4.15

12.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.61 $15.61

$12.98 $12.98

20.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 $8.89

$13.86 $13.86

-35.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.50 $15.50

$16.34 $16.34

-5.14%

Apples (1kg)

$3.81 $3.81

$4.69 $4.69

-18.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.45 $1.45

37.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.27 $3.27

$5.11 $5.11

-36.01%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$4.52 $4.52

-28.10%

Potato (1kg)

$2.90 $2.90

$3.08 $3.08

-5.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.38 $2.38

18.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.80 $1.80

20.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.04 $2.04

$2.22 $2.22

-8.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.65 $11.65

$9.97 $9.97

16.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.25 $17.25

$15.05 $15.05

14.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.91 $2.91

-36.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$3.33 $3.33

-5.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.73 $1.73

$1.22 $1.22

41.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$59.2 $59.2

$40.53 $40.53

46.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.52 $6.52

$2.78 $2.78

134.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.75 $2.75

$1.65 $1.65

66.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$37.93 $37.93

$35.39 $35.39

7.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.44 $1.44

$0.95 $0.95

51.58%

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

$30.9K $30.9K

$34.2K $34.2K

-9.67%

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)

$251 $251

$223 $223

12.55%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$58.5 $58.5

-7.75%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.9 $67.9

$71.2 $71.2

-4.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$32.67 $32.67

$53.0 $53.0

-38.40%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$49.73 $49.73

$16.75 $16.75

196.90%

Cinema Ticket

$12.28 $12.28

$14.06 $14.06

-12.66%

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

$2,312 $2,312

$1,459 $1,459

58.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$33.6K $33.6K

$21.3K $21.3K

57.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.9 $65.9

$52.5 $52.5

25.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$49.81 $49.81

$42.75 $42.75

16.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 $108

$86.4 $86.4

25.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.7 $99.7

$104 $104

-3.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,431 $2,431

$2,112 $2,112

15.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,879 $1,879

$1,230 $1,230

52.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,313 $4,313

$3,863 $3,863

11.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,264 $3,264

$2,407 $2,407

35.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,432 $7,432

$7,426 $7,426

0.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,995 $5,995

$3,060 $3,060

95.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,519 $5,519

$5,179 $5,179

6.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.26

6.82

-8.21%

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

Last update for San Luis Obispo, CA: October 25, 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 Luis Obispo, CA

$1.9K 56.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 34.5% $648

Groceries & Markets

San Luis Obispo, CA

$392 11.8%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 4.5% $18

Eating Out

San Luis Obispo, CA

$382 11.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 8.9% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Luis Obispo, CA

$373 11.3%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 5.4% $20

Clothing & Footwear

San Luis Obispo, CA

$146 4.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 11.8% $17

Getting Around

San Luis Obispo, CA

$86 2.6%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 34.7% $30

Sport & Entertainment

San Luis Obispo, CA

$57 1.7%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 41.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,431 in San Luis Obispo, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Luis Obispo, CA pays 7% 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: $60 in San Luis Obispo, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $392 vs $410 per month, with San Luis Obispo, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Luis Obispo, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:38 6:38 AM

08:38 8:38 AM

2 h ahead of San Luis Obispo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,339

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

San Luis Obispo, CA Austin, TX 2,210 km ≈ 3 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 21% lower than in San Luis Obispo, 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 7% higher in San Luis Obispo, 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: $2,431 in San Luis Obispo, 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 $3,315 per month in San Luis Obispo, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 21% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 32% less than in San Luis Obispo, 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.

It comes down to priorities – Austin, TX wins on affordability, San Luis Obispo, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.