Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA, rent and utilities included – about $21,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

214

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

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

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Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,430

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,430 in Santa Monica, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Santa Monica, CA $4,430
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $6,581 in Santa Monica, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Santa Monica, CA $6,581
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,732 in Santa Monica, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Santa Monica, CA $8,732
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Santa Monica, CA is roughly 66% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Santa Monica, CA 228% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$26.77 $26.77

$20.77 $20.77

28.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$118 $118

$84.6 $84.6

39.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.88 $14.88

$12.32 $12.32

20.78%

Cappuccino

$5.93 $5.93

$5.63 $5.63

5.33%

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

$3.26 $3.26

$3.72 $3.72

-12.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.50 $2.50

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.13 $8.13

$8.05 $8.05

0.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.95 $9.95

$9.01 $9.01

10.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.34 $1.34

$1.12 $1.12

19.64%

White Bread (500g)

$4.57 $4.57

$3.75 $3.75

21.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.65 $4.65

$3.26 $3.26

42.64%

Eggs

$5.73 $5.73

$4.17 $4.17

37.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.77 $15.77

$12.90 $12.90

22.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.21 $14.21

$14.16 $14.16

0.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.80 $19.80

$16.22 $16.22

22.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.76 $4.76

$4.33 $4.33

9.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.29 $2.29

$1.46 $1.46

56.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.95 $3.95

$4.51 $4.51

-12.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.45 $5.45

$4.34 $4.34

25.58%

Potato (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.58 $2.58

28.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.83 $2.83

$2.35 $2.35

20.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.78 $1.78

20.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.22 $2.22

11.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.56 $11.56

$9.88 $9.88

17.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.25 $15.25

$15.08 $15.08

1.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 $2.43

$2.92 $2.92

-16.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.46 $3.46

-11.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.52 $2.52

$1.49 $1.49

69.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$67.0 $67.0

$41.72 $41.72

60.64%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.73 $2.73

15.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.66 $1.66

14.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.68 $32.68

$35.30 $35.30

-7.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.95 $0.95

52.63%

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

$36.8K $36.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

2.08%

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

$25.6K $25.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.56%

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

$218 $218

$229 $229

-4.89%

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

$46.37 $46.37

$59.4 $59.4

-21.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.1 $65.1

$69.9 $69.9

-6.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.7 $70.7

$57.2 $57.2

23.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.11 $44.11

$16.33 $16.33

170.12%

Cinema Ticket

$19.36 $19.36

$14.28 $14.28

35.57%

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

$1,694 $1,694

$1,506 $1,506

12.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.5K $32.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

51.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.9 $88.9

$52.8 $52.8

68.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 $54.8

$43.82 $43.82

24.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$84.8 $84.8

22.67%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 $121

$103 $103

17.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,328 $3,328

$1,907 $1,907

74.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,860 $2,860

$1,274 $1,274

124.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,804 $5,804

$3,664 $3,664

58.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$5,048 $5,048

$2,538 $2,538

98.89%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$10.9K $10.9K

$7,614 $7,614

42.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,924 $7,924

$3,157 $3,157

150.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,900 $6,900

$5,121 $5,121

34.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

6.79

-2.50%

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

Last update for Santa Monica, 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 Monica, CA

$2.9K 64.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 55.5% $1.6K

Groceries & Markets

Santa Monica, CA

$462 10.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 12.4% $57

Eating Out

Santa Monica, CA

$413 9.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 14.3% $59

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Monica, CA

$329 7.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 8.8% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Monica, CA

$166 3.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 23% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Monica, CA

$109 2.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.6% $24

Getting Around

Santa Monica, CA

$90 2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 34.6% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,328 in Santa Monica, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Santa Monica, CA pays 35% 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: $118 in Santa Monica, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $462 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Monica, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Monica, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

89,736

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Santa Monica, CA Austin, TX 1,990 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Santa Monica, 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 35% higher in Santa Monica, 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: $3,328 in Santa Monica, 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 $4,430 per month in Santa Monica, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 66% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 61% less than in Santa Monica, 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 Monica, 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 66% less than in Santa Monica, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.