Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Desamparados

For one person, living is cheaper in Desamparados: $1,689 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
82

Cost of Living Index in Desamparados
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Desamparados Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Desamparados

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,689 in Desamparados.

Austin, TX $2,663
Desamparados $1,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,670 in Desamparados.

Austin, TX $4,133
Desamparados $2,670

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,651 in Desamparados.

Austin, TX $5,603
Desamparados $3,651

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 58% more expensive than in Desamparados, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Desamparados 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.26 ₡5,498

69.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$52.4 ₡23.5K

61.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.82 ₡5,303

4.23%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.69 ₡2,101

20.04%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.39 ₡1,072

55.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.98 ₡889

26.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.60 ₡1,617

123.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.68 ₡2,097

92.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.42 ₡1,087

-53.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.71 ₡1,217

38.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.13 ₡954

53.05%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.88 ₡1,740

7.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.07 ₡5,412

6.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.56 ₡4,736

34.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.00 ₡6,279

15.86%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.90 ₡2,200

-11.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.75 ₡785

-16.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.61 ₡1,617

24.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.24 ₡1,454

33.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.49 ₡1,564

-26.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.33 ₡1,493

-29.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.05 ₡469

69.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.86 ₡1,283

-22.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.63 ₡2,524

75.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.39 ₡6,903

-2.01%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.26 ₡1,015

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.84 ₡1,273

21.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.32 ₡594

12.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.25 ₡1,008

21.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.76 ₡788

-5.68%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.44 ₡3,337

374.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 ₡692

-38.31%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K ₡9.6M

67.69%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.9K ₡13.9M

-12.41%

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

$229 $229

$97.5 ₡43.7K

134.81%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.11 ₡15.3K

74.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.3 ₡25.2K

24.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$69.1 ₡31.0K

-17.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.96 ₡3,571

79.40%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$919 ₡412.2K

63.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.9K ₡6.7M

44.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$76.9 ₡34.5K

-31.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$60.9 ₡27.3K

-28.01%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$133 ₡59.5K

-36.11%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$121 ₡54.4K

-15.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$854 ₡383.1K

123.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$613 ₡275.0K

107.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,068 ₡927.3K

77.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,243 ₡557.3K

104.26%

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

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Desamparados: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Desamparados

$613 36.3% 51.9% $661

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Desamparados

$375 22.2% 7.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Desamparados

$188 11.1% 47.6% $170

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Desamparados

$235 13.9% 33.7% $119

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Desamparados

$176 10.4% 37.7% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Desamparados

$85 5% 0.9% $0.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Desamparados

$16 * 1% 72.2% $42

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $854 in Desamparados. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $52.0 in Desamparados for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $375 per month, with Desamparados cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 Desamparados

🕒 Local time

08:18 8:18 AM

07:18 7:18 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

38,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Desamparados 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Desamparados

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 Desamparados: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Desamparados wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Desamparados the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,533 in Desamparados 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $854 in Desamparados. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $919 in Desamparados. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Desamparados – a meal for two runs $52.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,689 in Desamparados versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Desamparados but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Desamparados 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 Desamparados 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 Desamparados gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.