Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Arecibo

For one person, living is cheaper in Arecibo: $1,281 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Arecibo
Learn more

Arecibo Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Arecibo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,281

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,281 in Arecibo.

Austin, TX $2,663
Arecibo $1,281

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,005 in Arecibo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Arecibo $2,005

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,730 in Arecibo.

Austin, TX $5,603
Arecibo $2,730

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 108% more expensive than in Arecibo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Arecibo is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.13 $12.13

71.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$81.2 $81.2

4.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.55 $8.55

44.09%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.42 $3.42

64.62%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.90 $1.90

95.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.50 $1.50

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.05 $3.05

163.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.09 $5.09

77.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.79 $1.79

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.36 $3.36

11.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.94 $1.94

68.04%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.48 $4.48

-6.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.78 $12.78

0.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.48 $9.48

49.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.47 $13.47

20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.97 $4.97

-12.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.59 $2.59

-43.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.81 $4.81

-6.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.84 $4.84

-10.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.69 $3.69

-30.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.99 $3.99

-41.10%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.53 $3.53

-49.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.60 $1.60

38.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.98 $11.98

-17.53%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.87 $15.87

-4.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.09 $3.09

-5.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.06 $4.06

-14.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$40.63 $40.63

2.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.54 $2.54

7.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.46 $1.46

13.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$41.96 $41.96

-15.87%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.91 $0.91

4.40%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$40.4K $40.4K

-10.73%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.2K $28.2K

-3.83%

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

$229 $229

$324 $324

-29.39%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$68.1 $68.1

-12.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$66.1 $66.1

5.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.59 $10.59

34.84%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$833 $833

80.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.6K $12.6K

70.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$56.1 $56.1

-5.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$61.5 $61.5

-28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$109 $109

-22.18%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$114 $114

-9.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,191 $1,191

329.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Arecibo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Arecibo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Arecibo

$395 30.8% 2.4% $9.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Arecibo

$459 35.8% 28% $100

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Arecibo

$203 15.8% 42.7% $151

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Arecibo

$153 12% 19.7% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Arecibo

$21 * 1.7% 75.3% $65

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Arecibo

$50 * 3.9% 14% $8.2

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 330% 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 $81.0 in Arecibo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $395 per month, with Arecibo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇷 Arecibo

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

15:29 3:29 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

39,634

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Arecibo 3,390 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Arecibo

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 Arecibo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Arecibo is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and leisure. The 108% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 330% 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.

Supermarket bills run roughly 2% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Arecibo – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,281 in Arecibo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Arecibo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Arecibo 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 Arecibo 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 Arecibo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.