Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cuernavaca

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Cuernavaca
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Cuernavaca Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Cuernavaca

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,011

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,011 in Cuernavaca.

Austin, TX $2,663
Cuernavaca $1,011

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,692 in Cuernavaca.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cuernavaca $1,692

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,373 in Cuernavaca.

Austin, TX $5,603
Cuernavaca $2,373

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 164% more expensive than in Cuernavaca, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Cuernavaca is 25% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.05 MX$149

158.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$38.27 MX$707

121.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.24 MX$134

70.17%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.43 MX$44.98

131.69%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.27 MX$23.43

192.91%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.63 MX$11.60

296.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.50 MX$46.29

222.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.26 MX$60.3

176.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.70 MX$31.33

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.21 MX$40.92

69.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.44 MX$26.52

126.39%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.92 MX$35.49

117.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.08 MX$149

59.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.89 MX$90.4

189.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.78 MX$255

17.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.23 MX$41.24

94.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.35 MX$25.02

8.15%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.17 MX$40.07

107.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.67 MX$30.92

159.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.71 MX$31.62

50.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.74 MX$32.06

35.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.53 MX$28.25

16.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.91 MX$16.78

143.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.39 MX$81.2

125.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.15 MX$151

85.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.22 MX$22.55

139.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.32 MX$61.4

4.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.57 MX$10.51

161.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$27.69 MX$512

50.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.90 MX$35.20

43.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.63 MX$48.52

-36.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$10.93 MX$202

222.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.42 MX$26.26

-33.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.0K MX$387.9K

71.74%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.1K MX$444.6K

12.51%

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

$229 $229

$57.3 MX$1,059

299.77%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.78 MX$347

216.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$25.19 MX$465

177.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$25.75 MX$476

122.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.44 MX$100

162.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$217 MX$4,018

592.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,075 MX$93.8K

322.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$41.29 MX$763

27.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.18 MX$613

32.07%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$93.0 MX$1,719

-8.87%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$99.1 MX$1,832

3.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$385 MX$7,110

395.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$332 MX$6,140

283.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$957 MX$17.7K

282.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$804 MX$14.9K

215.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$870 MX$16.1K

775.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$606 MX$11.2K

420.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$649 MX$12.0K

688.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.4

-40.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Cuernavaca

$332 32.9% 73.9% $942

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Cuernavaca

$234 23.1% 42.3% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Cuernavaca

$101 10% 71.7% $257

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Cuernavaca

$142 14.1% 59.9% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Cuernavaca

$120 11.9% 6.3% $8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cuernavaca

$37 3.6% 57.3% $49

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Cuernavaca

$45 4.5% 23.3% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $385 in Cuernavaca. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 689% 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 $38.00 in Cuernavaca for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $234 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Cuernavaca

🕒 Local time

05:39 5:39 AM

04:39 4:39 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

341,029

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cuernavaca 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cuernavaca

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 Cuernavaca: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cuernavaca wins on cost – living expenses run 164% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuernavaca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 689% 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 $385 in Cuernavaca. 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 $1,011 in Cuernavaca – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cuernavaca 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 $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Cuernavaca are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.