Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ajijic

For one person, living is cheaper in Ajijic: $1,267 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Ajijic
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Ajijic Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ajijic

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Ajijic actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,267 in Ajijic, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ajijic $1,267

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,020 in Ajijic, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ajijic $2,020

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,773 in Ajijic, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ajijic $2,773

Austin, TX costs about 110% more than Ajijic, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, TX sits 97% above the global median, while Ajijic is 6% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.81 MX$181

111.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.69 MX$807

93.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.22 MX$133

70.64%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.47 MX$64.1

62.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.60 MX$29.62

132.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.24 MX$22.92

101.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.24 MX$41.31

259.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.32 MX$61.4

171.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.49 MX$27.52

-24.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.24 MX$41.31

67.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.07 MX$19.78

204.67%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.19 MX$40.54

90.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.84 MX$145

64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.56 MX$158

65.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.21 MX$133

124.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.30 MX$42.42

88.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.32 MX$24.42

10.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.48 MX$27.42

204.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.71 MX$31.66

153.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.60 MX$29.60

61.25%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.38 MX$25.57

70.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.03 MX$19.03

72.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.84 MX$15.55

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.47 MX$82.7

121.03%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.92 MX$165

69.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.55 MX$28.60

88.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.39 MX$25.61

148.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.64 MX$11.84

132.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.25 MX$23.18

118.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$4.40 MX$81.3

-62.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$11.00 MX$203

220.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 MX$27.50

-36.24%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.9K MX$386.5K

72.33%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.2K MX$447.2K

11.86%

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

$229 $229

$55.9 MX$1,033

309.64%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$14.30 MX$264

315.31%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.07 MX$445

190.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$24.24 MX$448

136.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$5.42 MX$100

201.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.78 MX$88.3

198.74%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$212 MX$3,922

609.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,953 MX$54.6K

626.64%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$44.03 MX$814

19.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.71 MX$309

162.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$68.7 MX$1,270

23.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.6 MX$1,286

48.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$841 MX$15.5K

126.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$630 MX$11.6K

102.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,506 MX$27.8K

143.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,267 MX$23.4K

100.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,332 MX$61.6K

128.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,734 MX$32.0K

82.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$562 MX$10.4K

811.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.2

-39.37%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ajijic: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ajijic

$630 49.7% 50.6% $644

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ajijic

$222 17.6% 45.1% $182

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ajijic

$94 7.4% 73.7% $264

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ajijic

$171 13.5% 51.7% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ajijic

$90 7.1% 30% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ajijic

$34 2.7% 60.6% $52

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ajijic

$26 * 2% 56% $33

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

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $841 in Ajijic. 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 812% 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 $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $44.00 in Ajijic. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $222 – making Ajijic the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Ajijic

🕒 Local time

20:37 8:37 PM

19:37 7:37 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,439

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ajijic 1,240 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ajijic

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 Ajijic: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 110%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $1,900 in Ajijic. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Ajijic, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,663 in Austin, TX and $1,267 in Ajijic. That's a gap of about 110%.

Kindergarten costs $1,506 per month in Austin, TX and $212 in Ajijic. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ajijic, where all-in costs run around $1,267, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Ajijic it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Ajijic – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Ajijic. 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.