Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cabo Rojo

For one person, living is cheaper in Cabo Rojo: $1,233 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Cabo Rojo
🇵🇷 Puerto Rico
$1,233
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Cabo Rojo

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,233 in Cabo Rojo.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Cabo Rojo $1,233

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,944 in Cabo Rojo.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Cabo Rojo $1,944

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,655 in Cabo Rojo.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Cabo Rojo $2,655

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 116% more expensive than in Cabo Rojo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Cabo Rojo is 9% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$10.13 $10.13
105.03%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$82.8 $82.8
2.16%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.98 $8.98
37.19%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.56 $3.56
58.15%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.84 $1.84
102.17%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.47 $1.47
70.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$1.49 $1.49
440.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.55 $3.55
153.80%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.22 $2.22
-49.55%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$3.56 $3.56
5.34%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.45 $2.45
33.06%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$7.42 $7.42
-43.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$12.58 $12.58
2.54%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$9.54 $9.54
48.43%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$13.49 $13.49
20.24%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$5.02 $5.02
-13.75%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.62 $2.62
-44.27%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$4.89 $4.89
-7.77%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.91 $4.91
-11.61%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$3.87 $3.87
-33.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$3.89 $3.89
-39.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$3.54 $3.54
-49.72%
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
$15.45 $15.45
-2.39%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.07 $3.07
-4.89%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$4.10 $4.10
-15.61%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$2.51 $2.51
8.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.48 $1.48
12.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$41.21 $41.21
-14.34%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.80 $0.80
18.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$40.1K $40.1K
-10.15%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$28.2K $28.2K
-4.03%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$322 $322
-28.82%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$65.3 $65.3
-8.98%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$69.2 $69.2
1.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.35 $10.35
37.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$817 $817
84.28%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$12.7K $12.7K
68.56%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$57.3 $57.3
-7.87%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$60.5 $60.5
-27.52%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$109 $109
-21.91%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$112 $112
-8.27%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
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
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Cabo Rojo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$4,204 $4,204
21.79%
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 Cabo Rojo: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Cabo Rojo
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Cabo Rojo
$415 2.7% $11
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Cabo Rojo
$456 27.3% $98
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Cabo Rojo
$178 49.6% $175
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Cabo Rojo
$152 19.1% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Cabo Rojo
$21 * 75.9% $65
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Cabo Rojo
$9.9 * 83.1% $49

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 22% 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 $83.0 in Cabo Rojo. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $415, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇵🇷 Cabo Rojo
🕒 Local time
17:21 5:21 PM
18:21 6:21 PM
1 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
50,000
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Cabo Rojo 3,370 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Cabo Rojo

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 Cabo Rojo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Cabo Rojo?
Cabo Rojo wins on cost – living expenses run 116% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cabo Rojo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Cabo Rojo?
Average pay runs 22% 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.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Cabo Rojo?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $817 in Cabo Rojo. 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 Cabo Rojo?
Dining out is cheaper in Cabo Rojo – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Austin, TX or in Cabo Rojo?
At $1,233 in Cabo Rojo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Cabo Rojo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cabo Rojo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Cabo Rojo?
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 Cabo Rojo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 116% 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

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