Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ciudad Lerdo

For one person, living is cheaper in Ciudad Lerdo: $831 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Ciudad Lerdo
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Ciudad Lerdo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Ciudad Lerdo

🇲🇽 Mexico

$831

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $831 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Austin, TX $2,698
Ciudad Lerdo $831

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,327 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Austin, TX $4,160
Ciudad Lerdo $1,327

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,823 in Ciudad Lerdo.

Austin, TX $5,622
Ciudad Lerdo $1,823

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 225% more expensive than in Ciudad Lerdo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Ciudad Lerdo is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$5.54 MX$102

272.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$26.39 MX$488

220.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.67 MX$123

80.96%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.61 MX$29.70

240.37%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.79 MX$14.66

381.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.56 MX$10.43

341.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.41 MX$26.01

470.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.76 MX$50.9

221.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.08 MX$19.95

2.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.33 MX$24.63

179.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.07 MX$19.82

214.95%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$1.61 MX$29.73

168.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$3.80 MX$70.3

245.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$3.86 MX$71.2

266.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.71 MX$124

143.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.34 MX$24.67

239.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.78 MX$14.40

87.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$0.80 MX$14.84

488.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$0.80 MX$14.77

418.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.85 MX$15.76

203.53%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.85 MX$15.71

176.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.52 MX$9.68

240.38%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.68 MX$12.60

214.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.74 MX$69.1

170.05%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$6.62 MX$122

129.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.09 MX$20.06

158.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.34 MX$24.74

156.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.68 MX$12.58

126.47%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$13.78 MX$255

197.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.18 MX$21.83

137.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.92 MX$35.52

-16.67%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$5.51 MX$102

523.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.24 MX$22.84

-24.19%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$18.2K MX$336.1K

86.85%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$21.0K MX$388.4K

27.34%

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

$223 $223

$32.65 MX$603

581.93%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$13.57 MX$251

334.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$21.84 MX$404

223.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$33.57 MX$620

71.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$20.34 MX$376

-18.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$3.92 MX$72.4

263.78%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$140 MX$2,580

982.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$2,745 MX$50.7K

661.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$27.70 MX$512

85.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$21.70 MX$401

103.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$55.5 MX$1,026

56.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$43.18 MX$798

141.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$615 MX$11.4K

215.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$385 MX$7,123

241.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,054 MX$19.5K

247.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$781 MX$14.4K

228.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,880 MX$34.7K

291.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,158 MX$21.4K

170.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$218 MX$4,036

2320.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.53

-35.52%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Ciudad Lerdo: October 20, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Ciudad Lerdo

$385 46.4% 70.7% $931

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Ciudad Lerdo

$140 16.9% 65.5% $266

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Ciudad Lerdo

$68 8.2% 80.7% $284

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Ciudad Lerdo

$102 12.2% 71% $249

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Ciudad Lerdo

$67 8% 48.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$41 5% 52% $45

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Ciudad Lerdo

$27 3.3% 52.9% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2320% 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 $26.00 in Ciudad Lerdo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $140 per month, with Ciudad Lerdo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Ciudad Lerdo

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

06:23 6:23 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

96,243

💱 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 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 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 Lerdo 770 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ciudad Lerdo

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 Lerdo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ciudad Lerdo wins on cost – living expenses run 225% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ciudad Lerdo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2320% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $615 in Ciudad Lerdo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $831 in Ciudad Lerdo – a 225% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ciudad Lerdo runs roughly 197% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $831 in Ciudad Lerdo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ciudad Lerdo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ciudad Lerdo 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 Lerdo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 225% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.