Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Acapulco and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Acapulco: $859 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Acapulco
🇲🇽 Mexico
$859
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $859 per month in Acapulco vs $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent included.

  • Acapulco $859
  • Austin, TX $2,663

A couple spends around $1,435 per month in Acapulco vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

  • Acapulco $1,435
  • Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $2,012 per month in Acapulco vs $5,603 in Austin, TX, rent included.

  • Acapulco $2,012
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Acapulco is about 68% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Acapulco sits 36% below the global median, while Austin, TX is 97% above – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$9.48 MX$175
$20.77 $20.77
-54.36%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$37.64 MX$696
$84.6 $84.6
-55.50%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$11.97 MX$221
$12.32 $12.32
-2.84%
Cappuccino
$3.76 MX$69.5
$5.63 $5.63
-33.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.63 MX$30.10
$3.72 $3.72
-56.18%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.66 MX$30.65
$2.50 $2.50
-33.60%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.00 MX$55.4
$8.05 $8.05
-62.73%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$4.79 MX$88.4
$9.01 $9.01
-46.84%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.59 MX$29.36
$1.12 $1.12
41.96%
White Bread (500g)
$2.89 MX$53.5
$3.75 $3.75
-22.93%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 MX$31.11
$3.26 $3.26
-48.47%
Eggs
$1.79 MX$33.06
$4.17 $4.17
-57.07%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$6.64 MX$123
$12.90 $12.90
-48.53%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$8.04 MX$149
$14.16 $14.16
-43.22%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.78 MX$199
$16.22 $16.22
-33.54%
Apples (1kg)
$4.58 MX$84.7
$4.33 $4.33
5.77%
Banana (1kg)
$1.65 MX$30.46
$1.46 $1.46
13.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.38 MX$62.5
$4.51 $4.51
-25.06%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.13 MX$57.9
$4.34 $4.34
-27.88%
Potato (1kg)
$3.47 MX$64.2
$2.58 $2.58
34.50%
Onion (1kg)
$2.96 MX$54.7
$2.35 $2.35
25.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.31 MX$24.12
$1.78 $1.78
-26.40%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.78 MX$14.46
$2.22 $2.22
-64.86%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$8.16 MX$151
$9.88 $9.88
-17.41%
Wine (Bottle)
$6.66 MX$123
$15.08 $15.08
-55.84%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.12 MX$20.74
$2.92 $2.92
-61.64%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.70 MX$49.94
$3.46 $3.46
-21.97%
🚌 Getting Around
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.88 MX$16.27
$1.49 $1.49
-40.94%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$41.72 $41.72
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.85 MX$89.6
$2.73 $2.73
77.66%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
-
$1.66 $1.66
-
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
-
$35.30 $35.30
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.47 MX$27.16
$0.95 $0.95
54.74%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.1K MX$389.7K
$36.0K $36.0K
-41.49%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.8K MX$458.4K
$27.1K $27.1K
-8.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$39.89 MX$737
$229 $229
-82.58%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$14.81 MX$274
$59.4 $59.4
-75.06%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$21.72 MX$401
$69.9 $69.9
-68.93%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$19.02 MX$351
$57.2 $57.2
-66.77%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$13.85 MX$256
$16.33 $16.33
-15.19%
Cinema Ticket
$3.87 MX$71.6
$14.28 $14.28
-72.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$162 MX$2,994
$1,506 $1,506
-89.24%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
-
$21.5K $21.5K
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$64.4 MX$1,191
$52.8 $52.8
22.00%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.58 MX$824
$43.82 $43.82
1.73%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$107 MX$1,985
$84.8 $84.8
26.70%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$83.2 MX$1,538
$103 $103
-19.21%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$519 MX$9,593
$1,907 $1,907
-72.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$150 MX$2,763
$1,274 $1,274
-88.27%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$956 MX$17.7K
$3,664 $3,664
-73.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$331 MX$6,118
$2,538 $2,538
-86.96%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
-
$7,614 $7,614
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
-
$3,157 $3,157
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Acapulco
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$449 MX$8,293
$5,121 $5,121
-91.24%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.6
6.79
70.84%

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

Last update for Acapulco: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Groceries & Markets
Acapulco
$269
Austin, TX
$405 50.7% $136
Eating Out
Acapulco
$195
Austin, TX
$354 81.8% $159
Accommodation & Living
Acapulco
$150
Austin, TX
$1.3K 752% $1.1K
Clothing & Footwear
Acapulco
$135
Austin, TX
$128 5.1% $6.9
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Acapulco
$76
Austin, TX
$358 369% $282
Sport & Entertainment
Acapulco
$27
Austin, TX
$86 221% $59
Getting Around
Acapulco
$8.4 *
Austin, TX
$59 601% $50

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $519 in Acapulco versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1041% higher in Austin, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $38.00 in Acapulco versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $269 vs $405 – making Acapulco the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Acapulco
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
10:47 10:47 AM
11:47 11:47 AM
1 h ahead of Acapulco
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
658,609
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Acapulco Austin, TX 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Acapulco
  • 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
Acapulco vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Acapulco or Austin, TX?
Austin, TX costs about 210% more than Acapulco, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from eating out. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Acapulco and in Austin, TX?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $1,288 per month in Acapulco and $3,995 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
Where is rent cheaper, Acapulco or Austin, TX?
Rent is clearly cheaper in Acapulco, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.
How much does it cost to live in Acapulco compared to Austin, TX?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $859 in Acapulco and $2,663 in Austin, TX. That's a gap of about 210%.
How do childcare costs compare in Acapulco and in Austin, TX?
Kindergarten costs $162 per month in Acapulco and $1,506 in Austin, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Acapulco or in Austin, TX?
A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Acapulco, where all-in costs run around $859, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Acapulco it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Which city is better for families?
Families tend to lean toward Acapulco – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Should I move to Acapulco or to Austin, TX?
If budget matters most, go with Acapulco. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.

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