Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

203

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

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

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Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,189

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,189 in Santa Clara, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Clara, CA $4,189
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,899 in Santa Clara, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Clara, CA $5,899
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,608 in Santa Clara, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Clara, CA $7,608
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Clara, CA is roughly 57% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Clara, CA 210% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.66 $24.66

$20.77 $20.77

18.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$111 $111

$84.6 $84.6

31.47%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.90 $11.90

$12.32 $12.32

-3.41%

Cappuccino

$5.75 $5.75

$5.63 $5.63

2.13%

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

$3.05 $3.05

$3.72 $3.72

-18.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.50 $2.50

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.77 $7.77

$8.05 $8.05

-3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.13 $8.13

$9.01 $9.01

-9.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 $1.27

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.75 $3.75

12.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.72 $4.72

$3.26 $3.26

44.79%

Eggs

$5.46 $5.46

$4.17 $4.17

30.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$24.69 $24.69

$12.90 $12.90

91.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.90 $11.90

$14.16 $14.16

-15.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.97 $12.97

$16.22 $16.22

-20.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.33 $4.33

28.18%

Banana (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.46 $1.46

61.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.86 $4.86

$4.51 $4.51

7.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.78 $5.78

$4.34 $4.34

33.18%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$2.58 $2.58

27.13%

Onion (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$2.35 $2.35

30.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.78 $1.78

71.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.74 $2.74

$2.22 $2.22

23.42%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$7.65 $7.65

$9.88 $9.88

-22.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.09 $13.09

$15.08 $15.08

-13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.92 $2.92

-41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 $2.54

$3.46 $3.46

-26.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.49 $1.49

95.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.3 $89.3

$41.72 $41.72

113.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.27 $3.27

$2.73 $2.73

19.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.66 $1.66

48.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.36 $39.36

$35.30 $35.30

11.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.95 $0.95

57.89%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

4.03%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.45%

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

$191 $191

$229 $229

-16.38%

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

$39.17 $39.17

$59.4 $59.4

-34.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 $62.9

$69.9 $69.9

-10.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$98.3 $98.3

$57.2 $57.2

71.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.14 $14.14

$16.33 $16.33

-13.41%

Cinema Ticket

$16.13 $16.13

$14.28 $14.28

12.96%

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

$2,693 $2,693

$1,506 $1,506

78.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.4K $37.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

74.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.8 $50.8

$52.8 $52.8

-3.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.79 $40.79

$43.82 $43.82

-6.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.5 $76.5

$84.8 $84.8

-9.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$59.8 $59.8

$103 $103

-41.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,946 $2,946

$1,907 $1,907

54.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,708 $2,708

$1,274 $1,274

112.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,427 $4,427

$3,664 $3,664

20.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,153 $4,153

$2,538 $2,538

63.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,978 $8,978

$7,614 $7,614

17.92%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,900 $8,900

$3,157 $3,157

181.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,229 $8,229

$5,121 $5,121

60.70%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.77

6.79

-0.29%

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

Last update for Santa Clara, CA: 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 Clara, CA

$2.7K 64.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 53% $1.4K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clara, CA

$459 11%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 11.9% $54

Eating Out

Santa Clara, CA

$379 9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 6.6% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clara, CA

$294 7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 22.1% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clara, CA

$131 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 34.3% $45

Getting Around

Santa Clara, CA

$117 2.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 49.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clara, CA

$103 2.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 24.8% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,946 in Santa Clara, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clara, CA pays 61% 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: $111 in Santa Clara, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $459 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clara, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

10:27 10:27 AM

12:27 12:27 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Clara, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,365

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Clara, CA Austin, TX 2,360 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 57% lower than in Santa Clara, 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 61% higher in Santa Clara, 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: $2,946 in Santa Clara, 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 $4,189 per month in Santa Clara, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 114% less than in Santa Clara, 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, Santa Clara, 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 57% less than in Santa Clara, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.