Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between West Hollywood, CA and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,194 in West Hollywood, CA, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in West Hollywood, CA
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West Hollywood, CA Living Index
130

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

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West Hollywood, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,194

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,194 in West Hollywood, CA versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

West Hollywood, CA $3,194
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,191 in West Hollywood, CA versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

West Hollywood, CA $5,191
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $7,189 in West Hollywood, CA versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

West Hollywood, CA $7,189
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in West Hollywood, CA is roughly 20% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: West Hollywood, CA 137% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$25.18 $25.18

$20.77 $20.77

21.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$100 $100

$84.6 $84.6

18.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$14.99 $14.99

$12.32 $12.32

21.67%

Cappuccino

$6.00 $6.00

$5.63 $5.63

6.57%

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

$3.04 $3.04

$3.72 $3.72

-18.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 $2.40

$2.50 $2.50

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.14 $7.14

$8.05 $8.05

-11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$10.16 $10.16

$9.01 $9.01

12.76%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 $1.33

$1.12 $1.12

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$4.88 $4.88

$3.75 $3.75

30.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.26 $3.26

43.87%

Eggs

$5.62 $5.62

$4.17 $4.17

34.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.65 $11.65

$12.90 $12.90

-9.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.54 $8.54

$14.16 $14.16

-39.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.76 $19.76

$16.22 $16.22

21.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.61 $4.61

$4.33 $4.33

6.47%

Banana (1kg)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.46 $1.46

52.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.93 $3.93

$4.51 $4.51

-12.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.55 $5.55

$4.34 $4.34

27.88%

Potato (1kg)

$3.42 $3.42

$2.58 $2.58

32.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.35 $2.35

24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.92 $1.92

$1.78 $1.78

7.87%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.51 $2.51

$2.22 $2.22

13.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.58 $11.58

$9.88 $9.88

17.21%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.74 $14.74

$15.08 $15.08

-2.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.52 $2.52

$2.92 $2.92

-13.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.77 $2.77

$3.46 $3.46

-19.94%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.73 $2.73

10.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.89 $1.89

$1.66 $1.66

13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.14 $32.14

$35.30 $35.30

-8.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 $1.55

$0.95 $0.95

63.16%

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

$36.6K $36.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

1.45%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.85%

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

$221 $221

$229 $229

-3.41%

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

$76.3 $76.3

$59.4 $59.4

28.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.7 $71.7

$69.9 $69.9

2.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$19.46 $19.46

$14.28 $14.28

36.27%

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

$1,167 $1,167

$1,506 $1,506

-22.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.0K $32.0K

$21.5K $21.5K

49.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.2 $63.2

$52.8 $52.8

19.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$48.36 $48.36

$43.82 $43.82

10.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 $106

$84.8 $84.8

24.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$103 $103

1.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,992 $2,992

$1,907 $1,907

56.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,810 $1,810

$1,274 $1,274

42.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$5,949 $5,949

$3,664 $3,664

62.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,046 $4,046

$2,538 $2,538

59.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,007 $1,007

$7,614 $7,614

-86.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,575 $6,575

$5,121 $5,121

28.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.31

6.79

-7.07%

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

Last update for West Hollywood, 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

West Hollywood, CA

$1.8K 56.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 29.6% $536

Groceries & Markets

West Hollywood, CA

$422 13.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 4% $17

Eating Out

West Hollywood, CA

$396 12.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 10.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

West Hollywood, CA

$369 11.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 2.9% $11

Clothing & Footwear

West Hollywood, CA

$145 4.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 11.8% $17

Sport & Entertainment

West Hollywood, CA

$39 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 121% $47

Getting Around

West Hollywood, CA

$12 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 371% $46

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 $2,992 in West Hollywood, CA and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

West Hollywood, CA pays 28% 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 West Hollywood, CA vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $422 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 West Hollywood, CA

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:26 11:26 PM

01:26 1:26 AM

2 h ahead of West Hollywood, CA

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

34,399

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

West Hollywood, CA Austin, TX 1,980 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

West Hollywood, 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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in West Hollywood, 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 28% higher in West Hollywood, 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: $2,992 in West Hollywood, CA versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,167 in West Hollywood, 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 West Hollywood, 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, West Hollywood, 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 20% less than in West Hollywood, CA. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.