Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Tracy, CA: $2,327 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Tracy, CA
🇺🇸 United States
$2,327
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,327 in Tracy, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Tracy, CA $2,327
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,585 in Tracy, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Tracy, CA $2,585
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,843 in Tracy, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Tracy, CA $2,843
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Tracy, CA costs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tracy, CA 72% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$19.75 $19.75
$20.77 $20.77
-4.91%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$50.9 $50.9
$84.6 $84.6
-39.84%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$10.10 $10.10
$12.32 $12.32
-18.02%
Cappuccino
$4.52 $4.52
$5.63 $5.63
-19.72%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.12 $3.12
$3.72 $3.72
-16.13%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.81 $1.81
$2.50 $2.50
-27.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$6.10 $6.10
$8.05 $8.05
-24.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$7.44 $7.44
$9.01 $9.01
-17.43%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 $1.34
$1.12 $1.12
19.64%
White Bread (500g)
$4.19 $4.19
$3.75 $3.75
11.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$5.50 $5.50
$3.26 $3.26
68.71%
Eggs
$3.42 $3.42
$4.17 $4.17
-17.99%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$16.30 $16.30
$12.90 $12.90
26.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.11 $11.11
$14.16 $14.16
-21.54%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.47 $15.47
$16.22 $16.22
-4.62%
Apples (1kg)
$4.45 $4.45
$4.33 $4.33
2.77%
Banana (1kg)
$2.26 $2.26
$1.46 $1.46
54.79%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$4.51 $4.51
-3.33%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.36 $4.36
$4.34 $4.34
0.46%
Potato (1kg)
$2.21 $2.21
$2.58 $2.58
-14.34%
Onion (1kg)
$3.23 $3.23
$2.35 $2.35
37.45%
Lettuce (1 head)
$2.04 $2.04
$1.78 $1.78
14.61%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.01 $2.01
$2.22 $2.22
-9.46%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$11.91 $11.91
$9.88 $9.88
20.55%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.06 $13.06
$15.08 $15.08
-13.40%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.10 $2.10
$2.92 $2.92
-28.08%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.75 $2.75
$3.46 $3.46
-20.52%
🚌 Getting Around
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
-
$1.49 $1.49
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$64.6 $64.6
$41.72 $41.72
54.91%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.44 $2.44
$2.73 $2.73
-10.62%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.85 $1.85
$1.66 $1.66
11.45%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$29.48 $29.48
$35.30 $35.30
-16.49%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.45 $1.45
$0.95 $0.95
52.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$37.3K $37.3K
$36.0K $36.0K
3.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.8K $25.8K
$27.1K $27.1K
-4.60%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$179 $179
$229 $229
-21.90%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$50.6 $50.6
$59.4 $59.4
-14.88%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$75.7 $75.7
$69.9 $69.9
8.32%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
-
$57.2 $57.2
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 $16.33
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.93 $14.93
$14.28 $14.28
4.55%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$2,471 $2,471
$1,506 $1,506
64.11%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$35.4K $35.4K
$21.5K $21.5K
65.06%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$71.4 $71.4
$52.8 $52.8
35.20%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$72.0 $72.0
$43.82 $43.82
64.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$95.8 $95.8
$84.8 $84.8
13.01%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$233 $233
$103 $103
126.13%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,775 $1,775
$1,907 $1,907
-6.94%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$991 $991
$1,274 $1,274
-22.20%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
-
$3,664 $3,664
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
-
$2,538 $2,538
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$3,758 $3,758
$7,614 $7,614
-50.65%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,157 $3,157
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Tracy, CA
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,739 $5,739
$5,121 $5,121
12.07%
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 Tracy, CA: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Tracy, CA
$991
Austin, TX
$1.3K 28.5% $283
Groceries & Markets
Tracy, CA
$404
Austin, TX
$405 0.1% $0.2
Eating Out
Tracy, CA
$308
Austin, TX
$354 15% $46
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Tracy, CA
$305
Austin, TX
$358 17.4% $53
Clothing & Footwear
Tracy, CA
$212
Austin, TX
$128 39.8% $84
Getting Around
Tracy, CA
$76 *
Austin, TX
$59 23.1% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Tracy, CA
$30 *
Austin, TX
$86 187% $56

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 $1,775 in Tracy, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Tracy, CA pays 12% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $51.0 in Tracy, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $404 vs $405 per month, with Tracy, CA cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Tracy, CA
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
16:24 4:24 PM
18:24 6:24 PM
2 h ahead of Tracy, CA
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
98,337
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Tracy, CA Austin, TX 2,330 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Tracy, 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
Tracy, CA vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Tracy, CA or Austin, TX?
Tracy, CA wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tracy, CA the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Tracy, CA or in Austin, TX?
Average pay runs 12% higher in Tracy, CA, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Tracy, CA compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,775 in Tracy, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Tracy, CA compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,327 per month in Tracy, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 14% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Tracy, CA compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Tracy, CA runs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Tracy, CA or in Austin, TX?
Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Tracy, CA is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Tracy, CA or Austin, TX?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Tracy, CA gentler on the wallet – expenses run 14% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Tracy, CA vs other spots: cost of living compared

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