Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $4,547 in San Rafael, CA, rent and utilities included – about $23,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

219

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

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

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San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,547

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,547 in San Rafael, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

San Rafael, CA $4,547
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,255 in San Rafael, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

San Rafael, CA $6,255
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,963 in San Rafael, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

San Rafael, CA $7,963
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in San Rafael, CA is roughly 74% 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 Rafael, CA 234% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.37 $25.37

$20.35 $20.35

24.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 $122

$84.7 $84.7

43.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.67 $11.67

$12.12 $12.12

-3.71%

Cappuccino

$4.80 $4.80

$5.65 $5.65

-15.04%

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

$2.95 $2.95

$3.68 $3.68

-19.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.93 $2.93

$2.36 $2.36

24.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.64 $5.64

$7.87 $7.87

-28.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.97 $6.97

$8.82 $8.82

-20.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.14 $1.14

31.58%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.69 $3.69

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$9.70 $9.70

$3.31 $3.31

193.05%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$4.15 $4.15

31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.82 $22.82

$12.98 $12.98

75.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.29 $15.29

$13.86 $13.86

10.32%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.54 $18.54

$16.34 $16.34

13.46%

Apples (1kg)

$7.29 $7.29

$4.69 $4.69

55.44%

Banana (1kg)

$2.95 $2.95

$1.45 $1.45

103.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.66 $6.66

$5.11 $5.11

30.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$4.52 $4.52

84.96%

Potato (1kg)

$5.86 $5.86

$3.08 $3.08

90.26%

Onion (1kg)

$5.65 $5.65

$2.38 $2.38

137.39%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.14 $3.14

$1.80 $1.80

74.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.99 $3.99

$2.22 $2.22

79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.42 $11.42

$9.97 $9.97

14.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.78 $12.78

$15.05 $15.05

-15.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.23 $2.23

$2.91 $2.91

-23.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.99 $2.99

$3.33 $3.33

-10.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.05 $2.05

$1.22 $1.22

68.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.37 $40.37

$40.53 $40.53

-0.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.01 $4.01

$2.78 $2.78

44.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.39 $4.39

$1.65 $1.65

166.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.55 $29.55

$35.39 $35.39

-16.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 $1.40

$0.95 $0.95

47.37%

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

$29.4K $29.4K

$34.2K $34.2K

-14.02%

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

$26.3K $26.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.80%

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

$251 $251

$223 $223

12.71%

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

$85.1 $85.1

$58.5 $58.5

45.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.7 $61.7

$71.2 $71.2

-13.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$124 $124

$53.0 $53.0

133.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$29.91 $29.91

$16.75 $16.75

78.57%

Cinema Ticket

$12.93 $12.93

$14.06 $14.06

-8.04%

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

$2,091 $2,091

$1,459 $1,459

43.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.1K $24.1K

$21.3K $21.3K

13.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.9 $60.9

$52.5 $52.5

16.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.54 $42.54

$42.75 $42.75

-0.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$96.5 $96.5

$86.4 $86.4

11.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 $130

$104 $104

25.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,814 $2,814

$2,112 $2,112

33.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,838 $2,838

$1,230 $1,230

130.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,116 $4,116

$3,863 $3,863

6.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,993 $3,993

$2,407 $2,407

65.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,383 $8,383

$7,426 $7,426

12.90%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,743 $5,743

$3,060 $3,060

87.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,930 $6,930

$5,179 $5,179

33.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.82

-2.93%

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

Last update for San Rafael, CA: October 26, 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 Rafael, CA

$2.8K 62.4%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 56.6% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael, CA

$577 12.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 28.9% $167

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael, CA

$398 8.8%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 11.4% $45

Eating Out

San Rafael, CA

$361 7.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 3.6% $13

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael, CA

$150 3.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 45.8% $69

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael, CA

$149 3.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 13.6% $20

Getting Around

San Rafael, CA

$75 1.6%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 24.3% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,814 in San Rafael, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

San Rafael, CA pays 34% 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: $122 in San Rafael, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $577 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 San Rafael, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:20 9:20 PM

23:20 11:20 PM

2 h ahead of San Rafael, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

58,704

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 Rafael, CA Austin, TX 2,430 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in San Rafael, 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 34% higher in San Rafael, 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: $2,814 in San Rafael, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,091 in San Rafael, CA versus $1,459 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85 versus $122 in San Rafael, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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 Rafael, CA on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.