Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Acosta

For one person, living is cheaper in Acosta: $1,752 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Acosta
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Acosta Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Acosta

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,752

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Acosta

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Acosta actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,752 in Acosta.

Austin, TX $2,663
Acosta $1,752

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,725 in Acosta.

Austin, TX $4,133
Acosta $2,725

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,698 in Acosta.

Austin, TX $5,603
Acosta $3,698

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 52% more expensive than in Acosta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Acosta 30% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.88 ₡5,328

74.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.0 ₡26.4K

43.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.56 ₡5,184

6.57%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.17 ₡1,869

35.01%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.54 ₡1,138

46.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.85 ₡830

35.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.19 ₡1,432

152.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.37 ₡1,960

106.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.09 ₡938

-46.41%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.47 ₡1,110

51.82%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.30 ₡1,032

41.74%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.75 ₡1,680

11.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.95 ₡4,912

17.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.91 ₡4,894

29.79%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.12 ₡6,781

7.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.79 ₡2,595

-25.22%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.78 ₡799

-17.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.53 ₡1,584

27.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.23 ₡1,448

34.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.26 ₡1,464

-20.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.44 ₡1,544

-31.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.05 ₡471

69.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.39 ₡1,073

-7.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.94 ₡2,215

100.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.53 ₡7,861

-13.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.27 ₡1,019

28.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.46 ₡1,104

40.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.15 ₡516

29.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.29 ₡1,026

19.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.59 ₡715

4.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.52 ₡4,271

270.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.46 ₡653

-34.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.2K ₡10.0M

62.22%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.8K ₡13.8M

-12.09%

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

$229 $229

$93.7 ₡42.0K

144.31%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.27 ₡15.4K

73.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$57.5 ₡25.8K

21.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$76.9 ₡34.5K

-25.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.96 ₡3,571

79.40%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$845 ₡379.1K

78.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$18.3K ₡8.2M

17.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$81.0 ₡36.3K

-34.79%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$55.4 ₡24.8K

-20.92%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$143 ₡64.0K

-40.55%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$114 ₡51.3K

-9.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$787 ₡353.0K

142.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$686 ₡307.7K

85.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,977 ₡886.4K

85.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,274 ₡571.5K

99.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,943 ₡871.5K

291.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,511 ₡677.5K

238.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Acosta: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Acosta

$686 39.2% 46.2% $588

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Acosta

$373 21.3% 7.7% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Acosta

$186 10.6% 48.2% $173

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Acosta

$222 12.7% 37.3% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Acosta

$177 10.1% 38.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Acosta

$93 5.3% 8.2% $7.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Acosta

$15 * 0.9% 74.7% $44

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $787 in Acosta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 239% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $59.0 in Acosta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $373 per month, with Acosta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 Acosta

🕒 Local time

03:36 3:36 AM

02:36 2:36 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,072

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Acosta 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Acosta

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

Austin, TX vs Acosta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX and Acosta differ by about 52% in total monthly costs ($2,663 vs $1,752 including rent). Acosta is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

Average pay runs 239% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $787 in Acosta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 8% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,752 in Acosta – a 52% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

At $1,752 in Acosta versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Acosta but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Acosta the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both cities offer a good standard of living with different trade-offs. Neither is objectively better – the right pick depends on what matters most: affordability, career, cultural scene, or climate.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Acosta 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 Acosta gentler on the wallet – expenses run 52% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.