Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Artesia, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Artesia, NM: $2,346 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
112

Cost of Living Index in Artesia, NM
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Artesia, NM Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Artesia, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,346

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Artesia, NM

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,346 in Artesia, NM.

Austin, TX $2,698
Artesia, NM $2,346

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,160 in Artesia, NM.

Austin, TX $4,160
Artesia, NM $3,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,974 in Artesia, NM.

Austin, TX $5,622
Artesia, NM $3,974

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 15% more expensive than in Artesia, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Artesia, NM 73% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$16.28 $16.28

26.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$46.94 $46.94

80.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.98 $11.98

0.75%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$6.13 $6.13

-10.60%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.33 $2.33

63.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.61 $1.61

53.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.96 $5.96

35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.93 $6.93

28.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.83 $0.83

33.73%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.87 $2.87

29.62%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.48 $2.48

35.89%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.45 $3.45

25.22%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.83 $11.83

10.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$11.71 $11.71

20.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.98 $12.98

25.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.58 $3.58

27.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.61 $2.61

80.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.66 $3.66

13.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.11 $2.11

22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.69 $2.69

-12.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.62 $1.62

32.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$10.19 $10.19

-0.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$9.26 $9.26

64.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.02 $2.02

39.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.74 $4.74

-27.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.04 $2.04

-24.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.61 $1.61

73.91%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.36 $1.36

17.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$26.81 $26.81

28.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.96 $0.96

-2.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.3K $27.3K

24.57%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.41%

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

$223 $223

$149 $149

49.52%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$72.2 $72.2

-18.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$68.1 $68.1

3.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.86 $41.86

37.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.02 $8.02

77.81%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$581 $581

160.19%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,020 $7,020

197.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$37.66 $37.66

36.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$36.76 $36.76

20.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$84.8 $84.8

2.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$79.0 $79.0

32.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,524 $1,524

27.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,250 $1,250

5.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,084 $2,084

75.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,637 $1,637

56.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,773 $2,773

165.25%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$2,389 $2,389

30.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,509 $3,509

50.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.51

4.30%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Artesia, NM: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Artesia, NM

$1.2K 53.3% 5% $66

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Artesia, NM

$326 13.9% 19.8% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Artesia, NM

$289 12.3% 17.9% $63

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Artesia, NM

$299 12.8% 14.5% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Artesia, NM

$107 4.6% 16.9% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Artesia, NM

$58 2.5% 32.8% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Artesia, NM

$17 * 0.7% 71.4% $41

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 $1,524 in Artesia, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 51% 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 $47.00 in Artesia, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $326 per month, with Artesia, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Artesia, NM

🕒 Local time

02:37 2:37 AM

01:37 1:37 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

16,522

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Artesia, NM 690 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Artesia, NM

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 Artesia, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Artesia, NM wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Artesia, NM the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 51% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,524 in Artesia, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $581 in Artesia, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Artesia, NM – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,346 in Artesia, NM versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Artesia, NM but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Artesia, NM 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.

Expats usually find Artesia, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.