Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Thousand Oaks, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA, rent and utilities included – about $13,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

187

Cost of Living Index in Thousand Oaks, CA
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Thousand Oaks, CA Living Index
130

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

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Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,797

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,797 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Thousand Oaks, CA $3,797
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,248 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Thousand Oaks, CA $5,248
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,699 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Thousand Oaks, CA $6,699
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Thousand Oaks, CA is roughly 43% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Thousand Oaks, CA 181% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.09 $25.09

$20.77 $20.77

20.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100.0 $100.0

$84.6 $84.6

18.16%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.60 $8.60

$12.32 $12.32

-30.19%

Cappuccino

$5.55 $5.55

$5.63 $5.63

-1.42%

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

$2.82 $2.82

$3.72 $3.72

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.95 $1.95

$2.50 $2.50

-22.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.21 $8.21

$8.05 $8.05

1.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.72 $9.72

$9.01 $9.01

7.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.12 $1.12

1.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.94 $3.94

$3.75 $3.75

5.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.51 $3.51

$3.26 $3.26

7.67%

Eggs

$5.05 $5.05

$4.17 $4.17

21.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.55 $12.55

$12.90 $12.90

-2.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$20.24 $20.24

$14.16 $14.16

42.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.88 $21.88

$16.22 $16.22

34.90%

Apples (1kg)

$5.38 $5.38

$4.33 $4.33

24.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.46 $1.46

23.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.51 $4.51

4.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.92 $5.92

$4.34 $4.34

36.41%

Potato (1kg)

$3.71 $3.71

$2.58 $2.58

43.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 $2.85

$2.35 $2.35

21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 $1.62

$1.78 $1.78

-8.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.88 $9.88

2.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.81 $14.81

$15.08 $15.08

-1.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.68 $1.68

$2.92 $2.92

-42.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 $1.54

$3.46 $3.46

-55.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.73 $2.73

60.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.81 $1.81

$1.66 $1.66

9.04%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.85 $35.85

$35.30 $35.30

1.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 $1.48

$0.95 $0.95

55.79%

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

$37.1K $37.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

2.89%

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

$26.1K $26.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.54%

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

$163 $163

$229 $229

-28.99%

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

$48.06 $48.06

$59.4 $59.4

-19.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.4 $69.4

$69.9 $69.9

-0.69%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.9 $66.9

$57.2 $57.2

16.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.43 $22.43

$16.33 $16.33

37.35%

Cinema Ticket

$11.94 $11.94

$14.28 $14.28

-16.39%

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

$1,781 $1,781

$1,506 $1,506

18.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.1K $42.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

96.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$50.4 $50.4

$52.8 $52.8

-4.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.09 $30.09

$43.82 $43.82

-31.33%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.2 $79.2

$84.8 $84.8

-6.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 $117

$103 $103

13.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,607 $2,607

$1,907 $1,907

36.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,448 $2,448

$1,274 $1,274

92.16%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,705 $3,705

$3,664 $3,664

1.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,513 $3,513

$2,538 $2,538

38.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,959 $5,959

$7,614 $7,614

-21.73%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,896 $5,896

$3,157 $3,157

86.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,918 $5,918

$5,121 $5,121

15.56%

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 Thousand Oaks, CA: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Thousand Oaks, CA

$2.4K 64.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 48% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Thousand Oaks, CA

$467 12.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 13.3% $62

Eating Out

Thousand Oaks, CA

$373 9.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 5% $19

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Thousand Oaks, CA

$280 7.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 27.9% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Thousand Oaks, CA

$125 3.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 2.6% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Thousand Oaks, CA

$91 2.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 5.5% $5

Getting Around

Thousand Oaks, CA

$13 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 338% $45

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 $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Thousand Oaks, CA pays 16% 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 Thousand Oaks, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $467 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Thousand Oaks, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:25 4:25 PM

18:25 6:25 PM

2 h ahead of Thousand Oaks, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

124,207

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

Thousand Oaks, CA Austin, TX 2,030 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Thousand Oaks, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 43% lower than in Thousand Oaks, 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 16% higher in Thousand Oaks, 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: $2,607 in Thousand Oaks, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,781 in Thousand Oaks, 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 $100 in Thousand Oaks, 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, Thousand Oaks, 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 43% less than in Thousand Oaks, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.