Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ciudad Juarez

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Juarez: $1,150 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Juarez
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Ciudad Juarez Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ciudad Juarez

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,150

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ciudad Juarez

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,150 in Ciudad Juarez.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ciudad Juarez $1,150

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,862 in Ciudad Juarez.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ciudad Juarez $1,862

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,574 in Ciudad Juarez.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ciudad Juarez $2,574

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 132% more expensive than in Ciudad Juarez, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Ciudad Juarez is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.47 MX$175

119.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$33.42 MX$618

153.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.33 MX$191

19.26%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.80 MX$51.7

101.07%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.10 MX$20.33

238.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.65 MX$12.03

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.07 MX$38.32

288.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.26 MX$78.7

111.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.74 MX$32.21

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.22 MX$41.03

68.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.56 MX$28.82

108.97%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.25 MX$41.50

85.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.83 MX$237

0.55%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.68 MX$123

111.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.07 MX$223

34.38%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.59 MX$47.84

67.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.04 MX$37.69

-28.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.87 MX$34.55

141.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.12 MX$39.16

104.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.64 MX$30.35

57.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.31 MX$42.77

1.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.58 MX$29.19

12.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.12 MX$20.61

98.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.54 MX$83.8

117.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.94 MX$202

37.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.27 MX$23.40

129.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.28 MX$60.7

5.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.64 MX$11.74

132.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$27.45 MX$507

51.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.06 MX$75.0

-32.76%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.12 MX$20.67

48.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$16.34 MX$302

116.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.31 MX$24.18

-27.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$20.8K MX$384.7K

73.18%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.4K MX$451.2K

10.88%

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

$229 $229

$85.7 MX$1,584

167.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$22.75 MX$420

161.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.46 MX$526

145.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$33.45 MX$618

71.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.84 MX$274

10.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.25 MX$78.6

236.00%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$215 MX$3,969

601.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,861 MX$52.9K

650.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.6 MX$1,101

-11.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.01 MX$610

32.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$76.4 MX$1,411

11.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$81.9 MX$1,514

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$609 MX$11.2K

213.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$382 MX$7,055

233.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,009 MX$18.6K

263.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$859 MX$15.9K

195.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$957 MX$17.7K

695.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$699 MX$12.9K

351.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$585 MX$10.8K

775.14%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.32

-40.02%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Juarez: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ciudad Juarez

$382 33.2% 70% $892

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ciudad Juarez

$270 23.5% 33.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ciudad Juarez

$137 11.9% 61.8% $221

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ciudad Juarez

$166 14.5% 53% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ciudad Juarez

$113 9.8% 11.8% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ciudad Juarez

$42 3.7% 51.1% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ciudad Juarez

$40 3.5% 32.5% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $609 in Ciudad Juarez. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 775% 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 $33.00 in Ciudad Juarez for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $270 per month, with Ciudad Juarez cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Ciudad Juarez

🕒 Local time

09:45 9:45 AM

08:45 8:45 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,501,551

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 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 →

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Austin, TX Ciudad Juarez 850 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ciudad Juarez

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 Ciudad Juarez: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Juarez wins on cost – living expenses run 132% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Juarez the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 775% 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 $609 in Ciudad Juarez. 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 $1,150 in Ciudad Juarez – a 132% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Juarez runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,150 in Ciudad Juarez versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Juarez but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Juarez 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 Ciudad Juarez gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.