| | Santa Cruz, CA | Austin, TX | United States |
| Overall | 186.0 | 129.1 | 100 |
| Food & Groceries | 111.5 | 96.7 | 100 |
| Health | 109.2 | 101.6 | 100 |
| Housing | 420.7 | 189.0 | 100 |
| Median Home Cost | $1,270,800 | $577,400 | $338,100 |
| Utilities | 9,350.0% | 9,910.0% | 10,000.0% |
| Transportation | 110.5 | 109.9 | 100 |
| Miscellaneous | 155.7 | 105.9 | 100 |
100 = National Average (Below 100 means cheaper than the US average. Above 100 means more expensive.)
DID YOU KNOW?
In order to keep your same standard of living your salary can vary greatly - whether you buy or rent, require child care, or want to include taxes. This is why we are now offering a Premium Salary & Cost of Living Calculator.
Our Premium Calculator Includes:
- Compare Cities cost of living across 9 different categories
- Personal salary calculations can optionally include Home ownership or rental, Child care, and Taxes (with details on state and local sales, income, property and automobile taxes)
- Includes the cost of Child Care for toddlers or infants, at a day care center or home care
- Grocery prices, detailed for 29 staple items in six categories
- Difference in cost of Utilities, including electric, gas and fuel oil
- Health Care Premiums and hospital expenses for major surgeries
- Taxes, Fees and Expenses you should know about, such as local car insurance rates, automobile taxes and registration, commuting costs.
- and 100s of other items you should consider before you relocate
Upgrade to Premium |
See Example
View More Data >
Reviews for Santa Cruz 
44 Reviews
I lived in the Santa Cruz area for 20 years. UCSC alum. Our kids were born there. There are wonderful things about Santa Cruz, but also many serious problems that we More
I have been here for four generations! My kids are the fifth. I guess that should tell you how wonderful it is here, at least for us. It's so cool to have world class More
I was born over the hill in San Jose area, and as a kid I loved coming over to the boardwalk. Santa Cruz has always been and always will be a town of diversity, More
Start Your Review of Santa Cruz
Good place to visit. More
Austin is too expensive. Let's get that out of the way. Other than that it is a fun city. Ladybird Lake makes the city, imo. The ability to stand up paddle, kayak, walk More
The city continues to grow quickly, which a lot of people don't like. I get it, you fall in love with a city, and it's growing so fast that you don't recognize the same More
Start Your Review of Austin
Most Recent Searches On Compare Cities
| Compare City | Compared To This City | |
| Sugar Hill, Georgia | Madison, Wisconsin | Compare |
| Saline, Michigan | Auburn Hills, Michigan | Compare |
| La Plata, Maryland | Aiken, South Carolina | Compare |
| Spanaway, Washington | Glendale, Arizona | Compare |
| Spanaway, Washington | Glendale, Arizona | Compare |
| Round Rock, Texas | Colfax, Washington | Compare |
| Lake City, Florida | Sequim, Washington | Compare |
| Round Rock, Texas | Colfax, Washington | Compare |
| Old Town, Maine | Altoona, Pennsylvania | Compare |
| Yorktown, Virginia | Wilmington, Delaware | Compare |
| Wethersfield, Connecticut | Torrington, Connecticut | Compare |
| Schenectady, New York | Auburn, Alabama | Compare |
| St. Louis, Missouri | East Lansing, Michigan | Compare |
| Lawrenceville, Georgia | Fayetteville, North Carolina | Compare |
| Vicksburg, Michigan | Oxford, Michigan | Compare |
| York, South Carolina | Claremore, Oklahoma | Compare |
| Houston, Texas | Atlanta, Georgia | Compare |
| Bow, New Hampshire | Oakland, Maine | Compare |
| Hanover, New Hampshire | Langley, Washington | Compare |
| Philadelphia, Pennsylvania | St. Paul, Minnesota | Compare |