Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Santa Cruz and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $676 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

33

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index
129

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

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Santa Cruz

🇧🇴 Bolivia

$676

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $676 in Santa Cruz versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Santa Cruz $676
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,255 in Santa Cruz versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Cruz $1,255
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,834 in Santa Cruz versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Santa Cruz $1,834
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Santa Cruz costs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Santa Cruz is 50% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.08 BOB 24.47

$20.22 $20.22

-89.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.80 BOB 209

$85.0 $85.0

-79.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.59 BOB 65.8

$12.35 $12.35

-54.74%

Cappuccino

$1.89 BOB 22.26

$5.47 $5.47

-65.45%

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

$0.53 BOB 6.24

$3.82 $3.82

-86.13%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.43 BOB 5.03

$2.50 $2.50

-82.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.98 BOB 11.57

$8.06 $8.06

-87.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.34 BOB 15.81

$8.99 $8.99

-85.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.82 BOB 9.63

$1.13 $1.13

-27.43%

White Bread (500g)

$1.06 BOB 12.44

$3.78 $3.78

-71.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 BOB 12.84

$3.25 $3.25

-66.46%

Eggs

$1.13 BOB 13.27

$4.14 $4.14

-72.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.43 BOB 40.41

$13.08 $13.08

-73.78%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.77 BOB 32.58

$14.31 $14.31

-80.64%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$5.29 BOB 62.3

$15.96 $15.96

-66.85%

Apples (1kg)

$1.89 BOB 22.26

$4.38 $4.38

-56.85%

Banana (1kg)

$0.68 BOB 7.99

$1.45 $1.45

-53.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$0.80 BOB 9.47

$4.54 $4.54

-82.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$0.78 BOB 9.14

$4.19 $4.19

-81.38%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 BOB 8.73

$2.63 $2.63

-71.86%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 BOB 8.19

$2.36 $2.36

-70.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.64 BOB 7.51

$1.76 $1.76

-63.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 BOB 8.57

$2.16 $2.16

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.07 BOB 24.40

$9.81 $9.81

-78.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.44 BOB 52.2

$14.72 $14.72

-69.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.15 BOB 13.56

$2.78 $2.78

-58.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 BOB 19.54

$3.48 $3.48

-52.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.28 BOB 3.31

$1.49 $1.49

-81.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$24.41 BOB 287

$40.51 $40.51

-39.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.84 BOB 21.60

$2.67 $2.67

-31.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 BOB 11.67

$1.58 $1.58

-37.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.80 BOB 80.0

$35.29 $35.29

-80.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 BOB 7.65

$0.99 $0.99

-34.34%

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

$14.7K BOB 173.5K

$35.8K $35.8K

-58.84%

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

$20.6K BOB 242.4K

$27.2K $27.2K

-24.22%

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

$38.52 BOB 453

$219 $219

-82.43%

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

$20.51 BOB 241

$58.0 $58.0

-64.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$18.97 BOB 223

$68.4 $68.4

-72.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.99 BOB 247

$57.9 $57.9

-63.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.61 BOB 160

$14.82 $14.82

-8.16%

Cinema Ticket

$6.38 BOB 75.1

$14.13 $14.13

-54.85%

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

$120 BOB 1,416

$1,509 $1,509

-92.03%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,216 BOB 37.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-85.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.21 BOB 344

$51.7 $51.7

-43.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.59 BOB 442

$44.05 $44.05

-14.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.1 BOB 848

$85.1 $85.1

-15.30%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$62.0 BOB 730

$105 $105

-41.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$277 BOB 3,258

$1,932 $1,932

-85.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$255 BOB 3,005

$1,272 $1,272

-79.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$910 BOB 10.7K

$3,670 $3,670

-75.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$873 BOB 10.3K

$2,525 $2,525

-65.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,342 BOB 15.8K

$7,617 $7,617

-82.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$750 BOB 8,822

$3,199 $3,199

-76.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$302 BOB 3,553

$5,105 $5,105

-94.09%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.17

6.79

-9.13%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Santa Cruz

$255 37.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 398% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz

$121 17.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 233% $282

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz

$90 13.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 42.5% $38

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz

$78 11.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 343% $268

Eating Out

Santa Cruz

$68 10%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 415% $281

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz

$34 5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 155% $52

Getting Around

Santa Cruz

$32 4.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 76.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $277 in Santa Cruz and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1591% 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: $18.00 in Santa Cruz vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $121 vs $403 per month, with Santa Cruz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇧🇴 Santa Cruz

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:57 2:57 AM

01:57 1:57 AM

1 h behind Santa Cruz

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,800,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Bolivian Boliviano BOB Bs.

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 BOB = 8.5 USD

100 BOB = 7.58 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to BOB – Bolivian Boliviano Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇧🇴 Bolivian Boliviano (Bs.)

Bolivian Boliviano exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 11.77 BOB (100 BOB = 8.5 USD). 1 EUR = 13.2 BOB (100 BOB = 7.58 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to BOB in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Santa Cruz Austin, TX 6,500 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Santa Cruz wins on cost – living expenses run 300% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Cruz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1591% 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: $277 in Santa Cruz versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $676 per month in Santa Cruz versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 300% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Cruz runs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $676 in Santa Cruz versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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.

Expats usually find Santa Cruz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 300% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.