Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Benalmadena

For one person, living is cheaper in Benalmadena: $1,832 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,000 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
89

Cost of Living Index in Benalmadena
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Benalmadena Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Benalmadena

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,832

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,832 in Benalmadena.

Austin, TX $2,663
Benalmadena $1,832

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,761 in Benalmadena.

Austin, TX $4,133
Benalmadena $2,761

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,690 in Benalmadena.

Austin, TX $5,603
Benalmadena $3,690

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 45% more expensive than in Benalmadena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Benalmadena 36% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.75 €13.12

40.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$68.0 €60.5

24.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.36 €8.33

31.62%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.18 €1.94

158.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.10 €1.87

77.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.08 €1.85

20.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.28 €2.92

145.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.44 €3.95

102.93%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.18 €1.05

-5.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.62 €1.44

131.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.80 €1.60

81.11%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.49 €3.10

19.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.49 €13.78

-16.72%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.27 €7.36

71.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.01 €14.24

1.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.49 €2.22

73.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 €1.73

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.77 €1.58

154.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.58 €2.29

68.22%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.85 €1.64

39.46%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.10 €1.87

11.90%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.49 €1.33

19.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.76 €0.68

192.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.68 €5.94

47.90%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.65 €5.91

126.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.18 €1.05

147.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.91 €1.70

81.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.90 €1.69

-21.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$31.58 €28.09

32.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.84 €1.64

48.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.22 €1.09

36.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$21.97 €19.54

60.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.79 €1.59

-46.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.6K €30.8K

4.14%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$29.5K €26.2K

-8.25%

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

$229 $229

$140 €124

64.02%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.81 €11.39

363.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$32.18 €28.63

117.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$48.00 €42.69

19.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.10 €14.32

1.43%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.91 €7.04

80.53%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$557 €496

170.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,462 €8,417

126.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$88.8 €79.0

-40.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.00 €34.69

12.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$95.5 €85.0

-11.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$111 €98.8

-7.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$972 €864

96.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$895 €796

42.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,693 €1,506

116.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,486 €1,322

70.80%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,159 €3,699

83.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,495 €3,109

-9.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,931 €3,497

30.26%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.29

106.38%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Benalmadena: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Benalmadena

$895 48.9% 29.8% $379

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Benalmadena

$277 15.1% 31.6% $128

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Benalmadena

$185 10.1% 48.5% $174

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Benalmadena

$214 11.7% 39.4% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Benalmadena

$150 8.2% 17.5% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Benalmadena

$64 3.5% 25.6% $22

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Benalmadena

$47 2.6% 19.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $972 in Benalmadena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 30% 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 $68.0 in Benalmadena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $277 per month, with Benalmadena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇸 Benalmadena

🕒 Local time

00:07 12:07 AM

07:07 7:07 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

75,801

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Benalmadena 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Benalmadena

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 Benalmadena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Benalmadena wins on cost – living expenses run 45% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Benalmadena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 30% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $972 in Benalmadena. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,832 in Benalmadena – a 45% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Benalmadena runs roughly 32% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,832 in Benalmadena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Benalmadena but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Benalmadena the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Benalmadena delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,832 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Benalmadena hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Benalmadena 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 Benalmadena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 45% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.