Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,419 in San Mateo, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

215

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

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

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San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,419

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,419 in San Mateo, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Mateo, CA $4,419
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,644 in San Mateo, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Mateo, CA $6,644
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,868 in San Mateo, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Mateo, CA $8,868
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Mateo, CA is roughly 66% 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 Mateo, CA 227% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.81 $19.81

$20.77 $20.77

-4.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$98.2 $98.2

$84.6 $84.6

16.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.87 $12.87

$12.32 $12.32

4.46%

Cappuccino

$5.54 $5.54

$5.63 $5.63

-1.60%

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

$3.08 $3.08

$3.72 $3.72

-17.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.50 $2.50

12.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 $8.31

$8.05 $8.05

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.86 $9.86

$9.01 $9.01

9.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.12 $1.12

43.75%

White Bread (500g)

$5.96 $5.96

$3.75 $3.75

58.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.98 $5.98

$3.26 $3.26

83.44%

Eggs

$7.19 $7.19

$4.17 $4.17

72.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.35 $13.35

$12.90 $12.90

3.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$19.03 $19.03

$14.16 $14.16

34.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.87 $19.87

$16.22 $16.22

22.50%

Apples (1kg)

$6.06 $6.06

$4.33 $4.33

39.95%

Banana (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.46 $1.46

45.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.90 $3.90

$4.51 $4.51

-13.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.86 $8.86

$4.34 $4.34

104.15%

Potato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.58 $2.58

68.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.04 $3.04

$2.35 $2.35

29.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.78 $1.78

71.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.94 $11.94

$9.88 $9.88

20.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.53 $14.53

$15.08 $15.08

-3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.69 $1.69

$2.92 $2.92

-42.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$3.46 $3.46

-44.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 $3.99

$1.49 $1.49

167.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$97.1 $97.1

$41.72 $41.72

132.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.05 $4.05

$2.73 $2.73

48.35%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.66 $1.66

22.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.56 $1.56

$0.95 $0.95

64.21%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

2.17%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.94%

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

$267 $267

$229 $229

16.51%

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

$41.54 $41.54

$59.4 $59.4

-30.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.4 $62.4

$69.9 $69.9

-10.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$109 $109

$57.2 $57.2

90.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.40 $9.40

$16.33 $16.33

-42.44%

Cinema Ticket

$18.35 $18.35

$14.28 $14.28

28.50%

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

$2,947 $2,947

$1,506 $1,506

95.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.8K $28.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

34.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.6 $63.6

$52.8 $52.8

20.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 $47.52

$43.82 $43.82

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 $117

$84.8 $84.8

38.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$135 $135

$103 $103

30.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,421 $3,421

$1,907 $1,907

79.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,741 $2,741

$1,274 $1,274

115.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,944 $5,944

$3,664 $3,664

62.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,128 $5,128

$2,538 $2,538

102.01%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.8K $13.8K

$7,614 $7,614

81.44%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,907 $8,907

$3,157 $3,157

182.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$7,501 $7,501

$5,121 $5,121

46.49%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.53

6.79

-3.83%

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

Last update for San Mateo, 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 Mateo, CA

$2.7K 62%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 53.5% $1.5K

Groceries & Markets

San Mateo, CA

$523 11.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 22.6% $118

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Mateo, CA

$371 8.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 3.4% $12

Eating Out

San Mateo, CA

$348 7.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1.6% $5.5

Clothing & Footwear

San Mateo, CA

$163 3.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 21.6% $35

Sport & Entertainment

San Mateo, CA

$146 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 41.1% $60

Getting Around

San Mateo, CA

$127 2.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 53.9% $69

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,421 in San Mateo, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Mateo, CA pays 46% 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: $98.0 in San Mateo, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $523 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Mateo, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

15:36 3:36 PM

17:36 5:36 PM

2 h ahead of San Mateo, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

103,536

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

San Mateo, CA Austin, TX 2,400 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

San Mateo, CA
Austin, TX

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in San Mateo, 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 46% higher in San Mateo, 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: $3,421 in San Mateo, 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 $4,419 per month in San Mateo, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 133% less than in San Mateo, 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 Mateo, 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 66% less than in San Mateo, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.