Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Celaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Celaya: $921 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Celaya
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Celaya Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Celaya

🇲🇽 Mexico

$921

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $921 in Celaya.

Austin, TX $2,663
Celaya $921

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,452 in Celaya.

Austin, TX $4,133
Celaya $1,452

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,982 in Celaya.

Austin, TX $5,603
Celaya $1,982

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 189% more expensive than in Celaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Celaya is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.49 MX$231

66.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$44.05 MX$814

92.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.21 MX$133

70.87%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.37 MX$62.3

67.06%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.23 MX$22.76

202.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.07 MX$19.84

133.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.14 MX$39.49

276.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.36 MX$62.1

168.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.44 MX$26.70

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.26 MX$41.83

65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.48 MX$27.29

120.27%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.15 MX$39.71

93.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.93 MX$147

62.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.40 MX$155

68.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.30 MX$209

43.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.29 MX$42.37

89.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.12 MX$20.63

30.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.54 MX$28.53

192.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.08 MX$19.91

301.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.56 MX$28.74

65.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.39 MX$25.67

69.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.98 MX$18.12

81.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.80 MX$14.87

177.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.33 MX$80.0

128.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.72 MX$161

72.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.83 MX$33.89

59.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.40 MX$62.9

1.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.63 MX$11.61

136.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$27.70 MX$512

50.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.20 MX$22.14

127.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 MX$20.95

46.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$10.77 MX$199

227.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.43 MX$26.33

-33.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K MX$398.1K

67.31%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.0K MX$444.0K

12.67%

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

$229 $229

$37.60 MX$695

509.02%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$19.37 MX$358

206.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$19.55 MX$361

257.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$33.06 MX$611

73.14%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.48 MX$508

-40.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.13 MX$94.7

178.36%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$210 MX$3,873

618.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,882 MX$53.3K

644.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.2 MX$1,019

-4.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.02 MX$703

15.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$103 MX$1,897

-17.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.9 MX$1,310

45.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$248 MX$4,588

668.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$220 MX$4,072

478.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$390 MX$7,208

839.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$283 MX$5,231

796.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$817 MX$15.1K

526.69%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.2

-39.37%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Celaya: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Celaya

$220 23.9% 82.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Celaya

$235 25.6% 41.8% $169

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Celaya

$77 8.3% 78.6% $282

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Celaya

$189 20.5% 46.7% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Celaya

$120 13% 6.2% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Celaya

$43 4.7% 49.5% $42

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Celaya

$37 4% 36.8% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $248 in Celaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 527% 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 $44.00 in Celaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $235 per month, with Celaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Celaya

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

378,143

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 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).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Celaya 1,130 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Celaya

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 Celaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Celaya wins on cost – living expenses run 189% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Celaya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 527% 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 $248 in Celaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $921 in Celaya – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Celaya runs roughly 51% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $921 in Celaya versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Celaya but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Celaya 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 Celaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.