Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cancun

For one person, living is cheaper in Cancun: $1,616 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,900 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Cancun
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Cancun Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Cancun

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,616

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,616 in Cancun.

Austin, TX $2,689
Cancun $1,616

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,436 in Cancun.

Austin, TX $4,112
Cancun $2,436

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $3,256 in Cancun.

Austin, TX $5,534
Cancun $3,256

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 66% more expensive than in Cancun, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Cancun 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$10.70 MX$201

99.44%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$54.8 MX$1,029

60.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$11.45 MX$215

8.65%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$3.65 MX$68.6

53.42%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.30 MX$24.38

180.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.81 MX$15.26

195.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.05 MX$57.3

156.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$4.26 MX$80.1

105.40%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.68 MX$31.58

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.52 MX$47.24

43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.66 MX$31.13

110.84%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.66 MX$50.0

67.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$9.63 MX$181

36.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$8.95 MX$168

55.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$13.90 MX$261

18.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.80 MX$52.5

68.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.62 MX$30.45

-7.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.08 MX$57.9

50.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.24 MX$42.09

101.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.92 MX$36.08

32.81%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.89 MX$35.57

26.46%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$1.17 MX$22.06

57.26%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.24 MX$23.35

71.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$4.21 MX$79.1

138.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$9.90 MX$186

50.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.51 MX$28.35

86.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.78 MX$52.1

18.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.68 MX$12.79

80.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$38.96 MX$732

6.34%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$4.27 MX$80.3

-37.24%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.90 MX$54.5

-43.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$13.42 MX$252

162.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.53 MX$28.71

-35.95%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$24.5K MX$460.2K

40.29%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.4K MX$439.1K

14.68%

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

$252 $252

$162 MX$3,041

55.76%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$23.15 MX$435

158.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$36.98 MX$694

88.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$26.72 MX$502

125.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$12.93 MX$243

40.29%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$7.29 MX$137

88.61%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$206 MX$3,865

608.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$5,429 MX$102.0K

389.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$54.1 MX$1,016

-2.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$54.5 MX$1,024

-16.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$72.6 MX$1,364

17.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$91.9 MX$1,726

15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$948 MX$17.8K

131.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$690 MX$13.0K

83.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$1,718 MX$32.3K

132.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$1,195 MX$22.4K

101.39%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,243 MX$23.3K

493.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,879 MX$35.3K

57.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$871 MX$16.4K

479.05%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

11.45

-40.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Cancun: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Cancun

$690 42.7% 45.6% $579

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Cancun

$284 17.6% 30.3% $123

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Cancun

$222 13.7% 41.8% $160

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Cancun

$196 12.1% 45% $160

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Cancun

$123 7.6% 5.7% $7.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Cancun

$41 2.6% 53% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Cancun

$60 3.7% 5.8% $3.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $948 in Cancun. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 5.8 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $55 in Cancun for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $284 per month, with Cancun cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Cancun

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

07:06 7:06 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

888,797

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.32 USD

100 MXN = 4.74 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 18.78 MXN (100 MXN = 5.32 USD). 1 EUR = 21.09 MXN (100 MXN = 4.74 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cancun 1,490 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cancun

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 Cancun: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cancun wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Cancun the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 5.8 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 $948 in Cancun. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,616 in Cancun – Cancun is about 40% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Cancun runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Cancun gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

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 Cancun gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.