Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Boca del Rio

For one person, living is cheaper in Boca del Rio: $1,202 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Boca del Rio
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,202
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,202 in Boca del Rio.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Boca del Rio $1,202

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,891 in Boca del Rio.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Boca del Rio $1,891

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,581 in Boca del Rio.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Boca del Rio $2,581

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 122% more expensive than in Boca del Rio, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Boca del Rio is 11% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$10.87 MX$201
91.08%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$44.56 MX$823
89.83%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.29 MX$153
48.61%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.62 MX$66.9
55.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.36 MX$25.20
173.53%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.00 MX$18.51
150.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.50 MX$46.27
222.00%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.95 MX$73.0
128.10%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.42 MX$26.33
-21.13%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.60 MX$48.12
44.23%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.93 MX$35.61
68.91%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.30 MX$42.58
81.30%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$8.14 MX$150
58.48%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$8.44 MX$156
67.77%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$13.02 MX$241
24.58%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.11 MX$57.5
39.23%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.78 MX$32.90
-17.98%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.90 MX$35.05
137.37%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.85 MX$34.19
134.59%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.98 MX$36.63
30.30%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.78 MX$32.86
32.02%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.60 MX$29.63
11.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.00 MX$18.54
122.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$4.02 MX$74.4
145.77%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$9.71 MX$179
55.30%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.60 MX$29.60
82.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$3.57 MX$65.9
-3.08%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.68 MX$12.49
119.12%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$2.90 MX$53.7
-5.86%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.85 MX$34.13
-10.27%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$11.13 MX$206
217.16%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.44 MX$26.52
-34.03%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$20.3K MX$374.6K
77.83%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$23.6K MX$435.6K
14.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$63.9 MX$1,182
258.13%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$24.30 MX$449
144.40%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$31.42 MX$581
122.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$37.07 MX$685
54.41%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$19.02 MX$352
-14.14%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$4.91 MX$90.8
190.84%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$197 MX$3,634
665.72%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$4,060 MX$75.0K
428.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$55.2 MX$1,020
-4.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$38.00 MX$702
15.32%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$98.8 MX$1,825
-14.17%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$82.5 MX$1,525
24.85%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$533 MX$9,843
258.07%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$443 MX$8,194
187.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,031 MX$19.0K
255.55%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$802 MX$14.8K
216.31%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,660 MX$30.7K
358.63%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,026 MX$19.0K
207.64%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Boca del Rio
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
11.3
-39.91%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Boca del Rio: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Boca del Rio
$443 65.2% $831
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Boca del Rio
$268 33.6% $136
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Boca del Rio
$120 66.6% $239
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Boca del Rio
$185 47.7% $169
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Boca del Rio
$124 3.5% $4.5
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Boca del Rio
$47 45.3% $39
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Boca del Rio
$15 * 74.7% $44

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $533 in Boca del Rio. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $45.00 in Boca del Rio for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $268 per month, with Boca del Rio cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇲🇽 Boca del Rio
🕒 Local time
08:28 8:28 AM
07:28 7:28 AM
1 h behind Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, 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).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Boca del Rio 1,250 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Boca del Rio

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 Boca del Rio: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Boca del Rio?
Boca del Rio wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Boca del Rio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Boca del Rio?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,803 in Boca del Rio to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Boca del Rio?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $533 in Boca del Rio. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Boca del Rio?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $197 in Boca del Rio. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Boca del Rio?
Dining out is cheaper in Boca del Rio – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Boca del Rio?
At $1,202 in Boca del Rio versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Boca del Rio but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Boca del Rio the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Boca del Rio?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Boca del Rio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?