Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

166

Cost of Living Index in Santa Rosa, CA
Learn more

Santa Rosa, CA Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,442

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,442 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Santa Rosa, CA $3,442
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,030 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Santa Rosa, CA $5,030
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,617 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Santa Rosa, CA $6,617
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Santa Rosa, CA is roughly 32% 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 Rosa, CA 153% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$27.06 $27.06

$20.35 $20.35

32.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.5 $90.5

$84.7 $84.7

6.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.15 $12.15

$12.12 $12.12

0.25%

Cappuccino

$6.60 $6.60

$5.65 $5.65

16.81%

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

$3.22 $3.22

$3.68 $3.68

-12.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.15 $3.15

$2.36 $2.36

33.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.88 $7.88

$7.87 $7.87

0.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.92 $8.92

$8.82 $8.82

1.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 $1.37

$1.14 $1.14

20.18%

White Bread (500g)

$4.59 $4.59

$3.69 $3.69

24.39%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.75 $4.75

$3.31 $3.31

43.50%

Eggs

$5.44 $5.44

$4.15 $4.15

31.08%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$22.62 $22.62

$12.98 $12.98

74.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$15.25 $15.25

$13.86 $13.86

10.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.99 $20.99

$16.34 $16.34

28.46%

Apples (1kg)

$6.10 $6.10

$4.69 $4.69

30.06%

Banana (1kg)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.45 $1.45

72.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$5.11 $5.11

32.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.84 $6.84

$4.52 $4.52

51.33%

Potato (1kg)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.08 $3.08

27.92%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.38 $2.38

46.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.06 $3.06

$1.80 $1.80

70.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.22 $2.22

-11.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.74 $11.74

$9.97 $9.97

17.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.85 $11.85

$15.05 $15.05

-21.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.91 $2.91

-25.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 $2.07

$3.33 $3.33

-37.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.53 $1.53

$1.22 $1.22

25.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$50.2 $50.2

$40.53 $40.53

23.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 $3.93

$2.78 $2.78

41.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.95 $1.95

$1.65 $1.65

18.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.43 $29.43

$35.39 $35.39

-16.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.95 $0.95

56.84%

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

$27.5K $27.5K

$34.2K $34.2K

-19.58%

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

$26.7K $26.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-0.19%

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

$196 $196

$223 $223

-12.17%

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

$49.40 $49.40

$58.5 $58.5

-15.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.5 $71.5

$71.2 $71.2

0.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$68.2 $68.2

$53.0 $53.0

28.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.99 $13.99

$16.75 $16.75

-16.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.27 $14.27

$14.06 $14.06

1.49%

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

$1,255 $1,255

$1,459 $1,459

-14.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$40.0K $40.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

87.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.5 $50.5

$52.5 $52.5

-3.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.55 $36.55

$42.75 $42.75

-14.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 $105

$86.4 $86.4

21.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$127 $127

$104 $104

22.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,336 $2,336

$2,112 $2,112

10.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,893 $1,893

$1,230 $1,230

53.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,569 $3,569

$3,863 $3,863

-7.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,100 $3,100

$2,407 $2,407

28.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,019 $5,019

$7,426 $7,426

-32.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,908 $4,908

$3,060 $3,060

60.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,740 $4,740

$5,179 $5,179

-8.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.46

6.82

-5.28%

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

Last update for Santa Rosa, CA: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Santa Rosa, CA

$1.9K 55%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 35% $663

Groceries & Markets

Santa Rosa, CA

$507 14.7%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 19.3% $98

Eating Out

Santa Rosa, CA

$415 12.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 16.1% $67

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Santa Rosa, CA

$317 9.2%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 11.3% $36

Clothing & Footwear

Santa Rosa, CA

$143 4.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 10.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Santa Rosa, CA

$97 2.8%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 16.1% $16

Getting Around

Santa Rosa, CA

$70 2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 19.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 9% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91 in Santa Rosa, CA vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $507 vs $410 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Santa Rosa, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:03 4:03 PM

18:03 6:03 PM

2 h ahead of Santa Rosa, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

174,972

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.898 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Santa Rosa, CA Austin, TX 2,460 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Santa Rosa, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 8% lower in Santa Rosa, CA. 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: $2,336 in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $3,442 per month in Santa Rosa, CA versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – Austin, TX is about 24% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 19% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch 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 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Santa Rosa, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.