Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

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

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

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Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,822

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,822 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Clarita, CA $3,822
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,089 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Clarita, CA $5,089
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,356 in Santa Clarita, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Clarita, CA $6,356
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Clarita, CA is roughly 44% 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 Clarita, CA 183% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.96 $19.96

$20.77 $20.77

-3.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$101 $101

$84.6 $84.6

19.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.04 $15.04

$12.32 $12.32

22.08%

Cappuccino

$6.11 $6.11

$5.63 $5.63

8.53%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.72 $3.72

-1.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 $2.97

$2.50 $2.50

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.20 $8.20

$8.05 $8.05

1.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.04 $9.04

$9.01 $9.01

0.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.18 $1.18

$1.12 $1.12

5.36%

White Bread (500g)

$4.08 $4.08

$3.75 $3.75

8.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.94 $4.94

$3.26 $3.26

51.53%

Eggs

$4.94 $4.94

$4.17 $4.17

18.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.19 $19.19

$12.90 $12.90

48.76%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.23 $8.23

$14.16 $14.16

-41.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.68 $16.68

$16.22 $16.22

2.84%

Apples (1kg)

$6.43 $6.43

$4.33 $4.33

48.50%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 $2.04

$1.46 $1.46

39.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.06 $3.06

$4.51 $4.51

-32.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.03 $3.03

$4.34 $4.34

-30.18%

Potato (1kg)

$8.51 $8.51

$2.58 $2.58

229.84%

Onion (1kg)

$4.85 $4.85

$2.35 $2.35

106.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.60 $3.60

$1.78 $1.78

102.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.71 $2.71

$2.22 $2.22

22.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.48 $11.48

$9.88 $9.88

16.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.76 $15.76

$15.08 $15.08

4.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.92 $2.92

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 $4.37

$3.46 $3.46

26.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.49 $1.49

71.14%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$26.78 $26.78

$41.72 $41.72

-35.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.73 $2.73

4.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.53 $2.53

$1.66 $1.66

52.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$60.8 $60.8

$35.30 $35.30

72.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$0.95 $0.95

40.00%

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

$23.4K $23.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-35.13%

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

$26.2K $26.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.38%

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

$229 $229

-0.04%

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

$55.7 $55.7

$59.4 $59.4

-6.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.6 $71.6

$69.9 $69.9

2.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.08 $37.08

$57.2 $57.2

-35.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$25.22 $25.22

$16.33 $16.33

54.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.23 $14.23

$14.28 $14.28

-0.35%

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

$1,402 $1,402

$1,506 $1,506

-6.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.2K $37.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

73.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.7 $74.7

$52.8 $52.8

41.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.07 $27.07

$43.82 $43.82

-38.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 $72.1

$84.8 $84.8

-14.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 $108

$103 $103

5.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,850 $2,850

$1,907 $1,907

49.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,414 $2,414

$1,274 $1,274

89.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,759 $3,759

$3,664 $3,664

2.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,152 $3,152

$2,538 $2,538

24.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,695 $3,695

$7,614 $7,614

-51.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,359 $4,359

$3,157 $3,157

38.06%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,121 $5,121

1.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.49

6.79

-4.42%

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

Last update for Santa Clarita, 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 Clarita, CA

$2.4K 63.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 47.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Clarita, CA

$444 11.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8.8% $39

Eating Out

Santa Clarita, CA

$364 9.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 2.7% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Clarita, CA

$356 9.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 0.6% $2

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Clarita, CA

$127 3.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 0.8% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Clarita, CA

$66 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 30.9% $20

Getting Around

Santa Clarita, CA

$52 1.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 11.9% $6.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,850 in Santa Clarita, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Clarita, CA pays 1% 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: $101 in Santa Clarita, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $444 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Clarita, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:30 1:30 PM

15:30 3:30 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Clarita, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

182,371

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Santa Clarita, CA Austin, TX 2,000 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Santa Clarita, CA
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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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Santa Clarita, 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 1% higher in Santa Clarita, 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: $2,850 in Santa Clarita, 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 $3,822 per month in Santa Clarita, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 56% less than in Santa Clarita, 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 Clarita, 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 44% less than in Santa Clarita, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.