Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Walnut Creek, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,698 a month against $3,689 in Walnut Creek, CA, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

179

Cost of Living Index in Walnut Creek, CA
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Walnut Creek, CA Living Index
129

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

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Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,689

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,689 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Walnut Creek, CA $3,689
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,385 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Walnut Creek, CA $5,385
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,081 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Walnut Creek, CA $7,081
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Walnut Creek, CA is roughly 37% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Walnut Creek, CA 172% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 $20.40

$20.63 $20.63

-1.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$89.0 $89.0

$84.6 $84.6

5.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.96 $14.96

$12.07 $12.07

23.94%

Cappuccino

$5.28 $5.28

$5.48 $5.48

-3.65%

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

$3.02 $3.02

$3.80 $3.80

-20.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.47 $2.47

-3.24%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.84 $7.84

$8.05 $8.05

-2.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.91 $7.91

$8.88 $8.88

-10.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 $1.39

$1.11 $1.11

25.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.85 $3.85

$3.72 $3.72

3.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.41 $3.41

$3.37 $3.37

1.19%

Eggs

$5.41 $5.41

$4.32 $4.32

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.02 $26.02

$13.13 $13.13

98.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$18.03 $18.03

$14.15 $14.15

27.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.37 $22.37

$16.33 $16.33

36.99%

Apples (1kg)

$8.08 $8.08

$4.55 $4.55

77.58%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.46 $1.46

52.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.35 $3.35

$4.71 $4.71

-28.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.76 $6.76

$4.15 $4.15

62.89%

Potato (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.58 $2.58

-58.14%

Onion (1kg)

$3.09 $3.09

$2.35 $2.35

31.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.77 $1.77

37.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.14 $2.14

41.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.70 $11.70

$10.10 $10.10

15.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.98 $19.98

$15.19 $15.19

31.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.82 $2.82

-37.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.27 $2.27

$3.44 $3.44

-34.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$6.26 $6.26

$1.54 $1.54

306.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.16 $3.16

$2.80 $2.80

12.86%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.44 $2.44

$1.60 $1.60

52.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.12 $40.12

$34.34 $34.34

16.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.94 $0.94

64.89%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.0K $34.0K

-19.95%

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

$26.5K $26.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

-1.02%

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

$188 $188

$223 $223

-15.44%

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

$75.6 $75.6

$58.9 $58.9

28.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.3 $67.3

$70.6 $70.6

-4.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$85.6 $85.6

$57.7 $57.7

48.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.14 $15.14

$16.53 $16.53

-8.41%

Cinema Ticket

$14.70 $14.70

$14.26 $14.26

3.09%

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

$2,180 $2,180

$1,511 $1,511

44.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$37.7K $37.7K

$20.9K $20.9K

80.45%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.3 $72.3

$51.3 $51.3

40.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$61.0 $61.0

$44.17 $44.17

38.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$87.0 $87.0

21.75%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$203 $203

$104 $104

94.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,382 $2,382

$1,940 $1,940

22.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,123 $2,123

$1,316 $1,316

61.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,516 $4,516

$3,664 $3,664

23.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,520 $3,520

$2,565 $2,565

37.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,403 $6,403

$3,129 $3,129

104.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,843 $6,843

$5,286 $5,286

29.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.58

6.79

-3.09%

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

Last update for Walnut Creek, CA: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Walnut Creek, CA

$2.1K 57.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 38% $807

Groceries & Markets

Walnut Creek, CA

$532 14.4%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 23.8% $127

Eating Out

Walnut Creek, CA

$348 9.4%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 0.6% $2

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Walnut Creek, CA

$331 9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 6.3% $21

Clothing & Footwear

Walnut Creek, CA

$199 5.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 35.1% $70

Sport & Entertainment

Walnut Creek, CA

$115 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 25.1% $29

Getting Around

Walnut Creek, CA

$40 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 43.3% $18

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 $2,382 in Walnut Creek, CA and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Walnut Creek, CA pays 29% 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: $89.0 in Walnut Creek, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $532 vs $406 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Walnut Creek, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:39 4:39 AM

06:39 6:39 AM

2 h ahead of Walnut Creek, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

70,166

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

Walnut Creek, CA Austin, TX 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Walnut Creek, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 37% lower than in Walnut Creek, 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 29% higher in Walnut Creek, 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: $2,382 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,180 in Walnut Creek, CA versus $1,511 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 $89.0 in Walnut Creek, 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, Walnut Creek, 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 37% less than in Walnut Creek, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.