Popular cities
Austin vs San Francisco cost of living 2026
Which is cheaper, what exactly is cheaper, and how it feels on your money ยท Updated October 2026
๐บ๐ธ Austin
๐บ๐ธ San Francisco
At a glance
- Where San Francisco is clearly cheaper: SIM card (17%โ)
- Where Austin is clearly cheaper: Studio rent (month) (61%โ), Transit (56%โ), Entry ticket (49%โ)
By category
Salary equivalence
Travel difficulty
Both cities are about equally easy to travel. Biggest gap: rip-offs & haggling โ Austin 2 vs San Francisco 1. Closer to 1 is easier. Difficulty ranking โบ
Item by item
| Item | Austin | San Francisco | Cheaper |
|---|---|---|---|
| Local mealper person | $ 20$20 | $ 25$25 | Austin โ20% |
| Street food1 item | $ 13$13 | $ 15$15 | Austin โ13% |
| Restaurant dinnerper person | $ 45$45 | $ 55$55 | Austin โ18% |
| Coffeeone cup | $ 6$6 | $ 6.5$6.5 | Austin โ8% |
| Beerone bottle | $ 7$7 | $ 9$9 | Austin โ22% |
| Cocktail & wineone cup | $ 15$15 | $ 17$17 | Austin โ12% |
| Bottled water | $ 2$2 | $ 2.5$2.5 | Austin โ20% |
| Convenience store1 snack or drink | $ 2.5$2.5 | $ 3$3 | Austin โ17% |
| Taxi5 km in town | $ 15$15 | $ 16$16 | Austin โ6% |
| Tuk-tuk / moto taxishort hop | $ 9$9 | $ 11$11 | Austin โ18% |
| Transitone ride | $ 1.25$1.25 | $ 2.85$2.85 | Austin โ56% |
| Scooter rentalper day | $ 35$35 | $ 45$45 | Austin โ22% |
| Hotel night3-star | $ 150$150 | $ 200$200 | Austin โ25% |
| Studio rent (month) | $ 1,300$1,300 | $ 3,300$3,300 | Austin โ61% |
| Laundry | $ 5$5 | $ 5$5 | similar |
| SIM card1 week data | $ 30$30 | $ 25$25 | San Francisco โ17% |
| Haircutcut | $ 33$33 | $ 38$38 | Austin โ13% |
| Massage1 hour | $ 90$90 | $ 110$110 | Austin โ18% |
| Half-day tourper person | $ 65$65 | $ 70$70 | Austin โ7% |
| Entry ticketTourist town | $ 18$18 | $ 35$35 | Austin โ49% |
Reference prices start as estimates from published price levels; items with 3+ traveler reports use the median of real reports. Hostels and local eateries cut both by 30%+.
FAQ
Which is cheaper, Austin or San Francisco?
Austin is 37% cheaper than San Francisco. Daily budget $310 vs $391; a month $5,431 vs $10,400.
Which is easier to travel, Austin or San Francisco?
About the same: Austin 1.8/5, San Francisco 1.6/5 (average of rip-offs, language, transport, payments and safety).
How do monthly costs compare between Austin and San Francisco?
With a short-term studio and living costs, Austin is about $5,431 and San Francisco about $10,400 per month.
Where do the numbers come from?
They start as estimates informed by published price levels; any item with 3+ traveler reports switches to the median of real reports. Live reports are in the app.