Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,521 in Santa Ana, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

171

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana, CA
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Santa Ana, CA Living Index
130

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

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Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,521

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,521 in Santa Ana, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Ana, CA $3,521
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,082 in Santa Ana, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Ana, CA $5,082
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,643 in Santa Ana, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Ana, CA $6,643
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Ana, CA is roughly 32% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Ana, CA 161% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.07 $23.07

$20.77 $20.77

11.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.3 $79.3

$84.6 $84.6

-6.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.53 $16.53

$12.32 $12.32

34.17%

Cappuccino

$5.84 $5.84

$5.63 $5.63

3.73%

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

$3.07 $3.07

$3.72 $3.72

-17.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 $2.49

$2.50 $2.50

-0.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.34 $7.34

$8.05 $8.05

-8.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.59 $9.59

$9.01 $9.01

6.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 $1.08

$1.12 $1.12

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$4.10 $4.10

$3.75 $3.75

9.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.26 $3.26

44.48%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$4.17 $4.17

37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.91 $12.91

$12.90 $12.90

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.56 $16.56

$14.16 $14.16

16.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.67 $21.67

$16.22 $16.22

33.60%

Apples (1kg)

$5.08 $5.08

$4.33 $4.33

17.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 $1.64

$1.46 $1.46

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.12 $4.12

$4.51 $4.51

-8.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.72 $5.72

$4.34 $4.34

31.80%

Potato (1kg)

$3.76 $3.76

$2.58 $2.58

45.74%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.35 $2.35

28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.78 $1.78

21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.85 $1.85

$2.22 $2.22

-16.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.62 $11.62

$9.88 $9.88

17.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.26 $15.26

$15.08 $15.08

1.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.45 $2.45

$2.92 $2.92

-16.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.22 $4.22

$3.46 $3.46

21.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.02 $2.02

$1.49 $1.49

35.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$68.3 $68.3

$41.72 $41.72

63.69%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.22 $6.22

$2.73 $2.73

127.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.01 $5.01

$1.66 $1.66

201.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$48.42 $48.42

$35.30 $35.30

37.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.95 $0.95

62.11%

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

$36.3K $36.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

0.58%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-0.17%

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

$173 $173

$229 $229

-24.50%

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

$66.4 $66.4

$59.4 $59.4

11.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.1 $73.1

$69.9 $69.9

4.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 $56.8

$57.2 $57.2

-0.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.28 $45.28

$16.33 $16.33

177.28%

Cinema Ticket

$15.39 $15.39

$14.28 $14.28

7.77%

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

$1,203 $1,203

$1,506 $1,506

-20.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.1 $63.1

$52.8 $52.8

19.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.92 $41.92

$43.82 $43.82

-4.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$103 $103

$84.8 $84.8

21.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 $145

$103 $103

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,679 $2,679

$1,907 $1,907

40.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,013 $2,013

$1,274 $1,274

57.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,246 $3,246

$3,664 $3,664

-11.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,242 $3,242

$2,538 $2,538

27.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,504 $4,504

$7,614 $7,614

-40.84%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,338 $4,338

$3,157 $3,157

37.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,080 $3,080

$5,121 $5,121

-39.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.39

6.79

-5.89%

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

Last update for Santa Ana, 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

Santa Ana, CA

$2K 57.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 36.7% $739

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana, CA

$460 13.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 12% $55

Eating Out

Santa Ana, CA

$382 10.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 7.5% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana, CA

$312 8.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 14.7% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana, CA

$159 4.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 19.4% $31

Getting Around

Santa Ana, CA

$108 3.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 45.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana, CA

$88 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 2.1% $1.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,679 in Santa Ana, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 66% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $79.0 in Santa Ana, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $460 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Ana, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

21:10 9:10 PM

23:10 11:10 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Ana, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

335,400

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Ana, CA Austin, TX 1,930 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Ana, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Santa Ana, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 66% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,679 in Santa Ana, 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 $3,521 per month in Santa Ana, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 32% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 64% less than in Santa Ana, 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.

Expats usually find Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 32% less than in Santa Ana, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.