Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Simi Valley, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,291 in Simi Valley, CA, rent and utilities included – about $7,500 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Simi Valley, CA outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

162

Cost of Living Index in Simi Valley, CA
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Simi Valley, CA Living Index
130

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

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Simi Valley, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,291

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,291 in Simi Valley, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Simi Valley, CA $3,291
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,712 in Simi Valley, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Simi Valley, CA $4,712
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,133 in Simi Valley, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Simi Valley, CA $6,133
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Simi Valley, CA is roughly 24% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Simi Valley, CA 144% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$23.12 $23.12

$20.77 $20.77

11.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.0 $70.0

$84.6 $84.6

-17.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.59 $11.59

$12.32 $12.32

-5.93%

Cappuccino

$5.29 $5.29

$5.63 $5.63

-6.04%

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

$2.05 $2.05

$3.72 $3.72

-44.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.50 $2.50

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.35 $7.35

$8.05 $8.05

-8.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.04 $6.04

$9.01 $9.01

-32.96%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.16 $1.16

$1.12 $1.12

3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.75 $3.75

-34.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.26 $3.26

37.12%

Eggs

$4.57 $4.57

$4.17 $4.17

9.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.90 $12.90

-4.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.20 $11.20

$14.16 $14.16

-20.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.95 $13.95

$16.22 $16.22

-14.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$4.33 $4.33

-10.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.46 $1.46

21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.73 $3.73

$4.51 $4.51

-17.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.65 $6.65

$4.34 $4.34

53.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.61 $2.61

$2.58 $2.58

1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.45 $3.45

$2.35 $2.35

46.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.03 $2.03

$1.78 $1.78

14.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.29 $2.29

$2.22 $2.22

3.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.68 $11.68

$9.88 $9.88

18.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.06 $12.06

$15.08 $15.08

-20.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.92 $2.92

-39.04%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 $3.13

$3.46 $3.46

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.79 $1.79

$1.49 $1.49

20.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.44 $4.44

$2.73 $2.73

62.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.66 $1.66

9.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.72 $35.72

$35.30 $35.30

1.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 $1.32

$0.95 $0.95

38.95%

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

$36.4K $36.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

1.00%

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

$25.5K $25.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.63%

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

$211 $211

$229 $229

-7.83%

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

$62.5 $62.5

$59.4 $59.4

5.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.0 $69.0

$69.9 $69.9

-1.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.23 $30.23

$57.2 $57.2

-47.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.96 $11.96

$14.28 $14.28

-16.25%

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

$1,196 $1,196

$1,506 $1,506

-20.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$43.0K $43.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

100.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 $75.1

$52.8 $52.8

42.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.02 $40.02

$43.82 $43.82

-8.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 $81.0

$84.8 $84.8

-4.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$171 $171

$103 $103

65.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,071 $2,071

$1,907 $1,907

8.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,986 $1,986

$1,274 $1,274

55.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,450 $2,450

$3,664 $3,664

-33.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,287 $3,287

$2,538 $2,538

29.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,023 $5,023

$5,121 $5,121

-1.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.64

6.79

-2.21%

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

Last update for Simi Valley, CA: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Simi Valley, CA

$2K 60.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 35.8% $712

Groceries & Markets

Simi Valley, CA

$375 11.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8% $30

Eating Out

Simi Valley, CA

$348 10.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 1.7% $5.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Simi Valley, CA

$343 10.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 4.6% $16

Clothing & Footwear

Simi Valley, CA

$165 5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Simi Valley, CA

$54 1.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 58.4% $32

Getting Around

Simi Valley, CA

$21 * 0.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 184% $38

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,071 in Simi Valley, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $70.0 in Simi Valley, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $375 vs $405 per month, with Simi Valley, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Simi Valley, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:36 12:36 PM

14:36 2:36 PM

2 h ahead of Simi Valley, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

121,288

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Simi Valley, CA Austin, TX 2,020 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Simi Valley, 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

Simi Valley, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Simi Valley, 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 2% 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: $2,071 in Simi Valley, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,196 in Simi Valley, CA versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $70.0 in Simi Valley, CA. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

Safety-wise, Simi Valley, 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 24% less than in Simi Valley, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.