San Diego vs Austin Cost of Living
San Diego (United States) · Overall index 80.0 — Austin (United States) · Overall index 70.9
Summary
- Overall, Austin is 11% cheaper than San Diego.
- Rent in Austin is 30% cheaper than in San Diego.
- Transport in Austin is 9% cheaper than in San Diego.
| Item | San Diego | Austin | Diff |
|---|---|---|---|
| Rent | -30% | ||
| 1-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $2,906 | $1,819 | -37% |
| 1-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $1,560 | $1,426 | -9% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, city centre (monthly) | $5,348 | $3,531 | -34% |
| 3-bedroom apartment, outside centre (monthly) | $3,541 | $2,256 | -36% |
| Groceries | -5% | ||
| Milk (1L) | $1.29 | $1.27 | -2% |
| White bread (500g) | $3.77 | $3.66 | -3% |
| Rice (1kg) | $4.26 | $4.82 | +13% |
| Eggs (12) | $4.41 | $4.39 | 0% |
| Local cheese (1kg) | $14.8 | $11.1 | -25% |
| Chicken fillets (1kg) | $12.7 | $10 | -21% |
| Beef round (1kg) | $19.1 | $15.8 | -17% |
| Apples (1kg) | $5.14 | $5.26 | +2% |
| Bananas (1kg) | $1.82 | $1.75 | -4% |
| Oranges (1kg) | $3.98 | $4.2 | +6% |
| Tomatoes (1kg) | $5.15 | $4.66 | -10% |
| Potatoes (1kg) | $3.07 | $2.94 | -4% |
| Onions (1kg) | $2.92 | $2.75 | -6% |
| Lettuce (1 head) | $2.36 | $2.48 | +5% |
| Water (1.5L bottle) | $2.61 | $2.21 | -15% |
| Bottle of wine (mid-range) | $15.1 | $15.2 | +1% |
| Transport | -9% | ||
| Public transport, one-way ticket | $2.68 | $2.4 | -10% |
| Public transport, monthly pass | $122 | $101 | -17% |
| Taxi, base fare | $3.68 | $3.24 | -12% |
| Taxi, per km | $1.86 | $1.73 | -7% |
| Gasoline (1L) | $0.87 | $0.89 | +2% |
| New compact car (e.g., VW Golf) | $26,442 | $24,355 | -8% |
| Dining out | -6% | ||
| Meal, inexpensive restaurant | $22.6 | $21.8 | -4% |
| Meal for 2, mid-range restaurant (3 courses) | $107 | $99.9 | -7% |
| Fast food combo meal | $11.9 | $10.9 | -8% |
| Cappuccino | $5.18 | $5 | -3% |
| Coke/Pepsi (0.33L, restaurant) | $2.16 | $2.08 | -4% |
| Domestic beer (0.5L, restaurant) | $5.99 | $5.5 | -8% |
| Imported beer (0.33L, restaurant) | $7.37 | $7.14 | -3% |
| Water (0.33L, restaurant) | $1.87 | $1.6 | -14% |
| Telecom | -1% | ||
| Mobile plan, calls + 10GB+ data (monthly) | $63.4 | $57.2 | -10% |
| Broadband internet 60Mbps+ (monthly) | $55.3 | $59.8 | +8% |
| Prepaid mobile tariff (1 min) | $0.31 | $0.31 | 0% |
| Video streaming subscription (monthly) | $13.3 | $13.3 | 0% |
| Utilities & household | -4% | ||
| Basic utilities, 85m² apartment (monthly) | $153 | $157 | +3% |
| Electricity (1 kWh) | $0.2 | $0.21 | +5% |
| Tap water (1m³) | $4.02 | $4.67 | +16% |
| Natural gas (1m³) | $1.46 | $1.15 | -21% |
| Waste collection (monthly) | $20.8 | $18.8 | -10% |
| Fitness club (monthly) | $79.6 | $77.3 | -3% |
| Cinema ticket (1 seat) | $15.3 | $15.3 | 0% |
| Men's haircut | $27.1 | $30.2 | +11% |
| Domestic cleaning (1 hour) | $26.6 | $20.7 | -22% |
| Private kindergarten (monthly) | $2,070 | $1,799 | -13% |
3,148 total data points · Price data as of 2026-07-01 · Exchange rates as of 2026-07-15
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Estimates for reference only — not official statistics.
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