Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunnyvale, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $4,372 in Sunnyvale, CA, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

210

Cost of Living Index in Sunnyvale, CA
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Sunnyvale, CA Living Index
129

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

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Sunnyvale, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$4,372

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $4,372 in Sunnyvale, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Sunnyvale, CA $4,372
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,837 in Sunnyvale, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Sunnyvale, CA $5,837
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,302 in Sunnyvale, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Sunnyvale, CA $7,302
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Sunnyvale, 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: Sunnyvale, CA 223% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$24.54 $24.54

$20.63 $20.63

18.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$74.5 $74.5

$84.6 $84.6

-11.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

Cappuccino

$5.86 $5.86

$5.48 $5.48

6.93%

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

$2.72 $2.72

$3.80 $3.80

-28.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.47 $2.47

6.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 $5.41

$8.05 $8.05

-32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.08 $6.08

$8.88 $8.88

-31.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.42 $1.42

$1.11 $1.11

27.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.88 $3.88

$3.72 $3.72

4.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.43 $4.43

$3.37 $3.37

31.45%

Eggs

$4.90 $4.90

$4.32 $4.32

13.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.58 $6.58

$13.13 $13.13

-49.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.07 $13.07

$14.15 $14.15

-7.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.19 $13.19

$16.33 $16.33

-19.23%

Apples (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.55 $4.55

-50.99%

Banana (1kg)

$2.12 $2.12

$1.46 $1.46

45.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.24 $2.24

$4.71 $4.71

-52.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.23 $2.23

$4.15 $4.15

-46.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.48 $2.48

$2.58 $2.58

-3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$1.83 $1.83

$2.35 $2.35

-22.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.77 $1.77

39.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 $1.02

$2.14 $2.14

-52.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.88 $11.88

$10.10 $10.10

17.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.24 $13.24

$15.19 $15.19

-12.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.82 $2.82

-37.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.06 $3.06

$3.44 $3.44

-11.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$1.54 $1.54

59.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$89.7 $89.7

$40.99 $40.99

118.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.80 $2.80

49.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.97 $1.97

$1.60 $1.60

23.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.57 $30.57

$34.34 $34.34

-10.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.94 $0.94

63.83%

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

$28.4K $28.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

-16.45%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

0.25%

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

$256 $256

$223 $223

14.93%

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

$40.89 $40.89

$58.9 $58.9

-30.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.2 $61.2

$70.6 $70.6

-13.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.71 $49.71

$57.7 $57.7

-13.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.07 $17.07

$16.53 $16.53

3.27%

Cinema Ticket

$15.42 $15.42

$14.26 $14.26

8.13%

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

$2,100 $2,100

$1,511 $1,511

38.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$24.9K $24.9K

$20.9K $20.9K

19.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.7 $63.7

$51.3 $51.3

24.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.98 $34.98

$44.17 $44.17

-20.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 $104

$87.0 $87.0

19.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$201 $201

$104 $104

92.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,351 $3,351

$1,940 $1,940

72.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,942 $2,942

$1,316 $1,316

123.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,393 $5,393

$3,664 $3,664

47.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,211 $4,211

$2,565 $2,565

64.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,573 $9,573

$7,354 $7,354

30.16%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,574 $8,574

$3,129 $3,129

174.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,663 $8,663

$5,286 $5,286

63.86%

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 Sunnyvale, CA: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sunnyvale, CA

$2.9K 67.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 55.3% $1.6K

Eating Out

Sunnyvale, CA

$363 8.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 3.7% $13

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunnyvale, CA

$358 8.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 1.6% $5.8

Groceries & Markets

Sunnyvale, CA

$334 7.6%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 21.7% $72

Clothing & Footwear

Sunnyvale, CA

$181 4.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 28.9% $52

Getting Around

Sunnyvale, CA

$114 2.6%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 49% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Sunnyvale, CA

$81 1.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $3,351 in Sunnyvale, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Sunnyvale, CA pays 64% 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: $74.0 in Sunnyvale, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $406 per month, with Sunnyvale, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Sunnyvale, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

03:10 3:10 AM

2 h ahead of Sunnyvale, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

152,703

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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Between locations

Sunnyvale, CA Austin, TX 2,370 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Sunnyvale, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 62% lower than in Sunnyvale, 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 64% higher in Sunnyvale, 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: $3,351 in Sunnyvale, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $4,372 per month in Sunnyvale, CA versus $2,698 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 119% less than in Sunnyvale, 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 $2,698 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Sunnyvale, 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 62% less than in Sunnyvale, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.