Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Calama

For one person, living is cheaper in Calama: $595 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Calama
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Calama Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Calama

🇨🇱 Chile

$595

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $595 in Calama.

Austin, TX $2,663
Calama $595

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,203 in Calama.

Austin, TX $4,133
Calama $1,203

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,812 in Calama.

Austin, TX $5,603
Calama $1,812

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 348% more expensive than in Calama, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Calama is 56% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.95 CLP 6,841

198.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.49 CLP 31.0K

168.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.05 CLP 2,018

174.63%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.93 CLP 916

300.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.94 CLP 929

165.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.12 CLP 3,074

158.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.23 CLP 5,149

72.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.10 CLP 1,087

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.84 CLP 825

346.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.62 CLP 2,575

24.43%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.95 CLP 4,876

-15.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.36 CLP 9,217

37.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.22 CLP 6,119

127.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.53 CLP 7,413

115.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.26 CLP 1,242

243.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.05 CLP 1,029

39.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.55 CLP 1,523

190.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.10 CLP 1,081

294.55%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.90 CLP 884

186.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.93 CLP 916

152.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.25 CLP 5,170

88.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.19 CLP 4,128

259.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.01 CLP 990

189.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.25 CLP 1,235

176.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.95 CLP 931

56.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.43 CLP 1,412

16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.44 CLP 1,415

-34.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

$40.05 CLP 39.4K

471.76%

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

$59.4 $59.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$13.28 CLP 13.1K

426.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.7 CLP 50.9K

10.69%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.74 CLP 20.4K

-21.26%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.69 CLP 4,617

204.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$306 CLP 301.6K

391.46%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$36.08 CLP 35.5K

46.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$28.38 CLP 27.9K

54.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$45.82 CLP 45.1K

85.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$61.8 CLP 60.9K

66.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$327 CLP 322.3K

482.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$102 CLP 100.6K

1146.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$807 CLP 794.0K

354.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$608 CLP 599.0K

317.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,403 CLP 1.4M

442.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,229 CLP 1.2M

156.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,110 CLP 1.1M

361.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calama: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Calama

$102 17.2% 92% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Calama

$176 * 29.6% 56.4% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Calama

$53 * 9% 85.1% $305

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Calama

$114 * 19.1% 67.9% $240

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Calama

$77 13% 39.5% $51

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Calama

$61 10.3% 28.8% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Calama

$11 * 1.8% 81.3% $48

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 $327 in Calama. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 361% 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 $31.00 in Calama for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $176 per month, with Calama cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇱 Calama

🕒 Local time

16:26 4:26 PM

18:26 6:26 PM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

157,575

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Chilean Peso CLP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CLP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

CLP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Calama 6,620 km ≈ 9 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Calama

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 Calama: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calama wins on cost – living expenses run 348% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calama the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 361% 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 $327 in Calama. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $306 in Calama. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Calama – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $595 in Calama versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Calama but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Calama 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 Calama gentler on the wallet – expenses run 348% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.