Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cuauhtémoc

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuauhtémoc: $1,133 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Cuauhtémoc
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,133
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,133 in Cuauhtémoc.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Cuauhtémoc $1,133

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,825 in Cuauhtémoc.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Cuauhtémoc $1,825

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,517 in Cuauhtémoc.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Cuauhtémoc $2,517

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 138% more expensive than in Cuauhtémoc, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Cuauhtémoc is 16% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$11.03 MX$204
87.04%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$44.20 MX$817
91.33%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$8.32 MX$154
45.07%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$3.51 MX$64.9
56.13%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$1.40 MX$25.79
171.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$1.06 MX$19.65
133.02%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.49 MX$45.98
223.29%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$3.91 MX$72.3
127.11%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$1.58 MX$29.15
-29.75%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.67 MX$49.41
39.33%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$1.65 MX$30.58
104.24%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$2.42 MX$44.72
78.51%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$8.06 MX$149
62.90%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$8.23 MX$152
71.93%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$11.42 MX$211
42.99%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$2.81 MX$51.8
61.92%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.51 MX$27.90
-3.31%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$1.93 MX$35.75
144.04%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$1.83 MX$33.84
126.78%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.01 MX$37.06
28.36%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.81 MX$33.47
29.83%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.42 MX$26.20
24.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$1.09 MX$20.14
96.33%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$4.47 MX$82.6
125.95%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$10.53 MX$195
44.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$1.82 MX$33.71
54.95%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$3.09 MX$57.0
11.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.67 MX$12.46
129.85%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.67 MX$49.30
4.87%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$1.93 MX$35.58
-17.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$10.95 MX$202
213.61%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$1.45 MX$26.74
-35.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$21.5K MX$397.0K
58.16%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$24.5K MX$453.0K
9.18%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$58.5 MX$1,080
280.92%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$22.66 MX$419
159.93%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$29.34 MX$542
140.59%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$33.58 MX$621
71.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$19.88 MX$367
-16.85%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$5.24 MX$96.8
172.14%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$218 MX$4,023
594.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$4,546 MX$84.0K
359.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$55.4 MX$1,023
-7.42%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$41.12 MX$760
7.42%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$102 MX$1,876
-14.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$90.0 MX$1,664
15.91%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$601 MX$11.1K
222.81%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$385 MX$7,114
241.89%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,056 MX$19.5K
247.10%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$758 MX$14.0K
238.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$1,904 MX$35.2K
286.22%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$1,153 MX$21.3K
171.29%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Cuauhtémoc
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
11.3
-39.91%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Cuauhtémoc: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Cuauhtémoc
$385 70.8% $931
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Cuauhtémoc
$263 35.2% $143
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Cuauhtémoc
$110 68.6% $242
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Cuauhtémoc
$185 47% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Cuauhtémoc
$130 0.4% $0.6
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Cuauhtémoc
$44 48.9% $42
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Cuauhtémoc
$15 * 74.1% $43

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $601 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $44.00 in Cuauhtémoc for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $263 per month, with Cuauhtémoc cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇲🇽 Cuauhtémoc
🕒 Local time
09:43 9:43 AM
08:43 8:43 AM
1 h behind Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
545,884
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Cuauhtémoc 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Cuauhtémoc

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 Cuauhtémoc: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Cuauhtémoc?
Cuauhtémoc wins on cost – living expenses run 138% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuauhtémoc the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Cuauhtémoc?
You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,699 in Cuauhtémoc to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Cuauhtémoc?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $601 in Cuauhtémoc. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Cuauhtémoc?
Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $218 in Cuauhtémoc. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Cuauhtémoc?
Dining out is cheaper in Cuauhtémoc – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Cuauhtémoc?
At $1,133 in Cuauhtémoc versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuauhtémoc but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cuauhtémoc the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Cuauhtémoc?
Both work as nomad bases, but Cuauhtémoc delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,133 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cuauhtémoc hard to pass up.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cuauhtémoc gentler on the wallet – expenses run 138% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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