Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Ana and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Ana: $2,018 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

97

Cost of Living Index in Santa Ana
Learn more

Santa Ana Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Ana

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,018

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,018 in Santa Ana versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Ana $2,018
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,233 in Santa Ana versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Ana $3,233
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,447 in Santa Ana versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Ana $4,447
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Ana costs roughly 24% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Ana 49% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.04 ₡5,401

$20.77 $20.77

-42.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.6 ₡28.1K

$84.6 $84.6

-26.00%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.78 ₡5,285

$12.32 $12.32

-4.38%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,975

$5.63 $5.63

-21.85%

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

$2.14 ₡959

$3.72 $3.72

-42.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.37 ₡613

$2.50 $2.50

-45.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.36 ₡1,508

$8.05 $8.05

-58.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.27 ₡1,917

$9.01 $9.01

-52.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 ₡993

$1.12 $1.12

97.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$3.75 $3.75

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.51 ₡1,127

$3.26 $3.26

-23.01%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,554

$4.17 $4.17

-16.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.87 ₡4,876

$12.90 $12.90

-15.74%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.40 ₡4,664

$14.16 $14.16

-26.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.19 ₡6,364

$16.22 $16.22

-12.52%

Apples (1kg)

$5.10 ₡2,289

$4.33 $4.33

17.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 ₡742

$1.46 $1.46

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.65 ₡2,086

$4.51 $4.51

3.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.98 ₡1,785

$4.34 $4.34

-8.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.93 ₡1,761

$2.58 $2.58

52.33%

Onion (1kg)

$3.60 ₡1,615

$2.35 $2.35

53.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 ₡500

$1.78 $1.78

-37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.80 ₡808

$2.22 $2.22

-18.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 ₡2,738

$9.88 $9.88

-38.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.77 ₡7,970

$15.08 $15.08

17.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.88 ₡1,293

$2.92 $2.92

-1.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.69 ₡1,207

$3.46 $3.46

-22.25%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.49 ₡1,116

$2.73 $2.73

-8.79%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡698

$1.66 $1.66

-6.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.59 ₡3,852

$35.30 $35.30

-75.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡694

$0.95 $0.95

63.16%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.0K $36.0K

-40.09%

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

$34.6K ₡15.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

27.80%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$229 $229

-59.10%

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

$32.78 ₡14.7K

$59.4 $59.4

-44.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.0 ₡22.4K

$69.9 $69.9

-28.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$157 ₡70.4K

$57.2 $57.2

174.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.25 ₡9,980

$16.33 $16.33

36.25%

Cinema Ticket

$7.78 ₡3,490

$14.28 $14.28

-45.52%

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

$983 ₡440.6K

$1,506 $1,506

-34.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$21.5K $21.5K

-18.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.4 ₡29.3K

$52.8 $52.8

23.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.0 ₡25.1K

$43.82 $43.82

27.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$127 ₡57.2K

$84.8 $84.8

50.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.0K

$103 $103

27.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,055 ₡473.0K

$1,907 $1,907

-44.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$885 ₡396.9K

$1,274 $1,274

-30.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,955 ₡1.3M

$3,664 $3,664

-19.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,844 ₡827.1K

$2,538 $2,538

-27.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,727 ₡1.2M

$7,614 $7,614

-64.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,657 ₡743.2K

$3,157 $3,157

-47.51%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,402 ₡628.9K

$5,121 $5,121

-72.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Santa Ana: October 11, 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

$885 43.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 43.9% $389

Groceries & Markets

Santa Ana

$379 18.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 6.8% $26

Eating Out

Santa Ana

$224 11.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 58% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Ana

$176 8.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 103% $182

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Ana

$173 8.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 50.3% $87

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Ana

$171 8.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 25.2% $43

Getting Around

Santa Ana

$10 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 472% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,055 in Santa Ana and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 265% 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: $63.0 in Santa Ana vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $379 vs $405 per month, with Santa Ana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Santa Ana

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:59 5:59 AM

06:59 6:59 AM

1 h ahead of Santa Ana

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Ana Austin, TX 2,660 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

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

On paper, salaries run 265% 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: $1,055 in Santa Ana versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $983 in Santa Ana versus $1,506 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 Santa Ana – a meal for two runs $63.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,018 in Santa Ana versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Ana but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Ana the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Santa Ana delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,018 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Santa Ana hard to pass up.

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