Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alamosa, CO

For one person, living is cheaper in Alamosa, CO: $2,380 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Alamosa, CO
Learn more

Alamosa, CO Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Alamosa, CO

🇺🇸 United States

$2,380

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alamosa, CO

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,380 in Alamosa, CO.

Austin, TX $2,698
Alamosa, CO $2,380

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,444 in Alamosa, CO.

Austin, TX $4,160
Alamosa, CO $3,444

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,509 in Alamosa, CO.

Austin, TX $5,622
Alamosa, CO $4,509

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Alamosa, CO, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Alamosa, CO 76% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$12.91 $12.91

59.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$48.99 $48.99

72.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.61 $8.61

40.19%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.88 $4.88

12.30%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.23 $2.23

70.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.48 $1.48

66.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.12 $6.12

31.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.98 $7.98

11.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.00 $1.00

11.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.30 $3.30

12.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.53 $4.53

-25.61%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.53 $2.53

70.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$6.71 $6.71

95.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.73 $9.73

45.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.46 $20.46

-20.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.72 $4.72

-3.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.43 $1.43

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.23 $3.23

45.82%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.64 $1.64

153.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.53 $0.53

386.79%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.11 $1.11

111.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.49 $1.49

18.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$2.75 $2.75

-22.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.84 $10.84

-6.83%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.88 $13.88

9.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.51 $2.51

12.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.52 $3.52

-2.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.89 $1.89

-18.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.53 $3.53

-20.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.01 $2.01

-20.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$31.46 $31.46

9.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.00 $1.00

-6.00%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$29.3K $29.3K

15.92%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.8K $24.8K

7.95%

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

$223 $223

$143 $143

56.16%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$64.4 $64.4

-8.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$71.2 $71.2

-0.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$42.24 $42.24

36.60%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.81 $12.81

11.32%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,490 $1,490

1.40%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.1K $25.1K

-16.91%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$53.4 $53.4

-4.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$44.08 $44.08

0.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$105 $105

-17.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$120 $120

-12.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,566 $1,566

23.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,274 $1,274

3.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,474 $2,474

48.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,145 $2,145

19.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,845 $2,845

158.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,271 $2,271

37.79%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$7,716 $7,716

-31.48%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Alamosa, CO: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Alamosa, CO

$1.3K 53.5% 3.2% $42

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Alamosa, CO

$345 14.5% 15% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Alamosa, CO

$278 11.7% 21% $74

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Alamosa, CO

$249 10.5% 28.9% $101

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Alamosa, CO

$145 6.1% 12.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alamosa, CO

$68 2.9% 21.3% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Alamosa, CO

$21 * 0.9% 63.5% $37

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,566 in Alamosa, CO. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Alamosa, CO pays 46% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $49.00 in Alamosa, CO for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $345 per month, with Alamosa, CO cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Alamosa, CO

🕒 Local time

21:14 9:14 PM

20:14 8:14 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Alamosa, CO 1,100 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alamosa, CO

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 Alamosa, CO: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX and Alamosa, CO differ by about 13% in total monthly costs ($2,698 vs $2,380 including rent). Alamosa, CO is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.

On paper, salaries run 46% lower in Alamosa, CO. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,566 in Alamosa, CO. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 18% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,380 in Alamosa, CO – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Alamosa, CO is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.

Expats usually find Alamosa, CO gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.