Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Boquete

For one person, living is cheaper in Boquete: $1,459 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
69

Cost of Living Index in Boquete
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Boquete Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Boquete

🇵🇦 Panama

$1,459

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,459 in Boquete.

Austin, TX $2,689
Boquete $1,459

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,245 in Boquete.

Austin, TX $4,112
Boquete $2,245

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $3,032 in Boquete.

Austin, TX $5,534
Boquete $3,032

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 84% more expensive than in Boquete, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Boquete 8% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$6.61 PAB 6.61

222.84%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$39.63 PAB 39.63

121.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$7.68 PAB 7.68

61.98%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.72 PAB 3.72

50.54%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.40 PAB 1.40

160.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.15 PAB 1.15

107.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.28 PAB 2.28

242.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$4.88 PAB 4.88

79.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.82 PAB 1.82

-38.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.12 PAB 2.12

70.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$2.22 PAB 2.22

57.66%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.49 PAB 2.49

78.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.25 PAB 9.25

42.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$7.45 PAB 7.45

87.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$15.49 PAB 15.49

6.26%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.47 PAB 4.47

5.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.02 PAB 1.02

47.06%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$4.53 PAB 4.53

2.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.18 PAB 2.18

107.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$2.26 PAB 2.26

12.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.23 PAB 2.23

7.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.22 PAB 2.22

-17.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.66 PAB 1.66

28.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$5.15 PAB 5.15

95.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$7.97 PAB 7.97

86.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.16 PAB 1.16

143.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.65 PAB 2.65

24.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.37 PAB 1.37

-10.22%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$25.26 PAB 25.26

64.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$0.98 PAB 0.98

173.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.02 PAB 2.02

-19.31%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$30.30 PAB 30.30

16.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.17 PAB 1.17

-16.24%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$25.5K PAB 25.5K

34.62%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.4K PAB 22.4K

19.51%

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

$252 $252

$58.6 PAB 58.6

330.43%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$25.83 PAB 25.83

131.67%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$41.71 PAB 41.71

66.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$83.2 PAB 83.2

-27.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$17.84 PAB 17.84

1.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$6.57 PAB 6.57

109.28%

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

$1,458 $1,458

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$6,105 PAB 6,105

335.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$24.55 PAB 24.55

114.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$25.29 PAB 25.29

80.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$45.76 PAB 45.76

86.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$814 PAB 814

169.62%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$706 PAB 706

79.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,554 PAB 1,554

157.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,303 PAB 1,303

84.68%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,163 PAB 1,163

534.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,152 PAB 1,152

157.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$800 PAB 800

530.11%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.5

4.92%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Boquete: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Boquete

$706 48.4% 44.4% $563

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Boquete

$294 20.2% 27.8% $113

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Boquete

$126 8.6% 67% $256

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Boquete

$152 10.4% 57.3% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Boquete

$43 * 3% 67% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Boquete

$96 6.6% 9.7% $8.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Boquete

$42 2.9% 26.9% $15

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $814 in Boquete. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 6.3 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $40 in Boquete for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $294 per month, with Boquete cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇦 Boquete

🕒 Local time

14:52 2:52 PM

15:52 3:52 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

7,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Panamanian Balboa PAB B/.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

1 PAB = 1 USD

1 PAB = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PAB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇦 Panamanian Balboa (B/.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

Panamanian Balboa exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 1 PAB (1 PAB = 1 USD). 1 EUR = 1.12 PAB (1 PAB = 0.895 EUR).

PAB to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Boquete 2,880 km ≈ 4 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Boquete

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 Boquete: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Boquete wins on cost – living expenses run 46% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Boquete the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 6.3 times higher, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $814 in Boquete. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Boquete – a meal for two runs $40 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Boquete runs roughly 39% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your 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 Boquete gentler on the wallet – expenses run 46% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.