Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA, rent and utilities included – about $19,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

211

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

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

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Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,325

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,325 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Cruz, CA $4,325
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,239 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Cruz, CA $6,239
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,152 in Santa Cruz, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Cruz, CA $8,152
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Cruz, CA is roughly 62% 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 Cruz, CA 220% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.97 $24.97

$20.77 $20.77

20.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$84.6 $84.6

18.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$15.15 $15.15

$12.32 $12.32

22.97%

Cappuccino

$5.71 $5.71

$5.63 $5.63

1.42%

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

$3.42 $3.42

$3.72 $3.72

-8.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 $2.30

$2.50 $2.50

-8.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.05 $8.05

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.11 $8.11

$9.01 $9.01

-9.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.12 $1.12

24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$4.73 $4.73

$3.75 $3.75

26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$7.80 $7.80

$3.26 $3.26

139.26%

Eggs

$6.16 $6.16

$4.17 $4.17

47.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.59 $26.59

$12.90 $12.90

106.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$16.85 $16.85

$14.16 $14.16

19.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.71 $17.71

$16.22 $16.22

9.19%

Apples (1kg)

$7.96 $7.96

$4.33 $4.33

83.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.31 $2.31

$1.46 $1.46

58.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$8.36 $8.36

$4.51 $4.51

85.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.73 $6.73

$4.34 $4.34

55.07%

Potato (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.58 $2.58

69.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.99 $2.99

$2.35 $2.35

27.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.98 $4.98

$1.78 $1.78

179.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.98 $2.98

$2.22 $2.22

34.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.72 $11.72

$9.88 $9.88

18.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.52 $24.52

$15.08 $15.08

62.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.92 $2.92

-26.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.24 $3.24

$3.46 $3.46

-6.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.49 $1.49

33.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.4 $64.4

$41.72 $41.72

54.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.73 $2.73

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.43 $2.43

$1.66 $1.66

46.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.55 $40.55

$35.30 $35.30

14.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.95 $0.95

62.11%

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

$37.5K $37.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

4.14%

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

$25.8K $25.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-4.78%

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

$377 $377

$229 $229

64.56%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$59.4 $59.4

-0.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.0 $67.0

$69.9 $69.9

-4.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$79.3 $79.3

$57.2 $57.2

38.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$12.55 $12.55

$16.33 $16.33

-23.15%

Cinema Ticket

$15.76 $15.76

$14.28 $14.28

10.36%

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

$2,455 $2,455

$1,506 $1,506

63.02%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.4K $29.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

37.13%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.9 $66.9

$52.8 $52.8

26.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.92 $48.92

$43.82 $43.82

11.64%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.7 $90.7

$84.8 $84.8

7.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$160 $160

$103 $103

55.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,054 $3,054

$1,907 $1,907

60.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,471 $2,471

$1,274 $1,274

93.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,807 $4,807

$3,664 $3,664

31.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,164 $4,164

$2,538 $2,538

64.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,919 $7,919

$7,614 $7,614

4.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.3K $11.3K

$3,157 $3,157

257.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,511 $5,511

$5,121 $5,121

7.62%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.47

6.79

-4.71%

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

Last update for Santa Cruz, CA: October 12, 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 Cruz, CA

$2.5K 57.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 48.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Cruz, CA

$596 13.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 32.1% $191

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Cruz, CA

$503 11.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 28.7% $144

Eating Out

Santa Cruz, CA

$392 9.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.7% $38

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Cruz, CA

$165 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.4% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Cruz, CA

$111 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 22.6% $25

Getting Around

Santa Cruz, CA

$88 2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 33.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,054 in Santa Cruz, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Cruz, CA pays 8% 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: $100 in Santa Cruz, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $596 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Cruz, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:33 1:33 PM

15:33 3:33 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Cruz, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

64,220

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Santa Cruz, 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 8% higher in Santa Cruz, 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: $3,054 in Santa Cruz, 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 $4,325 per month in Santa Cruz, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 62% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 54% less than in Santa Cruz, 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 62% less than in Santa Cruz, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.