Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alcala de Henares

For one person, living is cheaper in Alcala de Henares: $1,932 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Alcala de Henares
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,932
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alcala de Henares

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 Alcala de Henares actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,932 in Alcala de Henares.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Alcala de Henares $1,932

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,723 in Alcala de Henares.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Alcala de Henares $2,723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,515 in Alcala de Henares.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Alcala de Henares $3,515

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 38% more expensive than in Alcala de Henares, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Alcala de Henares 43% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$17.00 €15.12
22.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$65.8 €58.5
28.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$11.08 €9.86
11.19%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.72 €2.42
106.99%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.34 €2.97
11.38%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.87 €1.67
33.69%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.96 €3.52
103.28%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.64 €4.13
94.18%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.19 €1.05
-5.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.55 €1.38
141.94%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.72 €1.53
89.53%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.96 €2.64
40.88%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$21.99 €19.56
-41.34%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$9.20 €8.18
53.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$17.25 €15.35
-5.97%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.68 €2.39
61.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.31 €2.05
-36.80%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.18 €1.94
106.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.58 €2.29
68.22%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.13 €1.89
21.13%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.13 €1.89
10.33%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.57 €1.40
13.38%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.70 €0.63
217.14%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$6.12 €5.44
61.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$7.84 €6.98
92.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.22 €1.08
139.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.14 €1.91
61.68%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.46 €1.30
2.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$46.53 €41.39
-10.34%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.80 €3.38
-28.16%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.93 €1.72
-13.99%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$23.26 €20.69
51.76%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.80 €1.60
-47.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$35.7K €31.8K
0.97%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$30.3K €26.9K
-10.57%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$189 €168
21.27%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$19.65 €17.48
202.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$30.18 €26.85
131.64%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$40.29 €35.84
42.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$8.12 €7.22
101.11%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$9.43 €8.39
51.43%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$178 €159
743.67%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$5,820 €5,177
268.68%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$73.7 €65.6
-28.38%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$36.52 €32.48
19.99%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$78.2 €69.6
8.36%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$94.3 €83.9
9.19%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$966 €859
97.47%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$879 €782
44.97%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,858 €1,653
97.18%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,142 €1,016
122.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$4,260 €3,789
78.74%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$3,507 €3,119
-9.97%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Alcala de Henares
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$1,735 €1,544
195.07%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.14
116.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alcala de Henares: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Alcala de Henares
$879 31% $395
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Alcala de Henares
$310 23.4% $95
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Alcala de Henares
$239 33.4% $120
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Alcala de Henares
$252 28.8% $102
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Alcala de Henares
$127 0.6% $0.7
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Alcala de Henares
$59 31.1% $27
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Alcala de Henares
$66 12.2% $7.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $966 in Alcala de Henares. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 195% 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 $66.0 in Alcala de Henares for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $310 per month, with Alcala de Henares cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇪🇸 Alcala de Henares
🕒 Local time
04:31 4:31 AM
11:31 11:31 AM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
199,184
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Alcala de Henares 8,220 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Alcala de Henares

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 Alcala de Henares: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
What is the total cost difference between living in Austin, TX and in Alcala de Henares?
Austin, TX and Alcala de Henares differ by about 38% in total monthly costs ($2,663 vs $1,932 including rent). Alcala de Henares is meaningfully more affordable – a gap that matters a lot on a fixed or modest income.
Which city pays better: Austin, TX or Alcala de Henares?
Average pay runs 195% 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.
How do apartment prices compare in Austin, TX and in Alcala de Henares?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $966 in Alcala de Henares. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
What is the difference in childcare costs between Austin, TX and Alcala de Henares?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $178 in Alcala de Henares. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
Which city has cheaper grocery shopping?
Supermarket bills run roughly 30% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.
Which city is more doable on $3,000 per month?
At $1,932 in Alcala de Henares versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Alcala de Henares but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Alcala de Henares the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
How does quality of life compare between Austin, TX and Alcala de Henares?
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.
Is Austin, TX or Alcala de Henares safer for residents?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Alcala de Henares are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Where should expats move: Austin, TX or Alcala de Henares?
Expats usually find Alcala de Henares gentler on the wallet – expenses run 38% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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