Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ecatepec

For one person, living is cheaper in Ecatepec: $961 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,400 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
47

Cost of Living Index in Ecatepec
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Ecatepec Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ecatepec

🇲🇽 Mexico

$961

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $961 in Ecatepec.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ecatepec $961

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,670 in Ecatepec.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ecatepec $1,670

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,380 in Ecatepec.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ecatepec $2,380

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 177% more expensive than in Ecatepec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Ecatepec is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.14 MX$206

86.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$50.1 MX$926

68.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.57 MX$177

28.74%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.71 MX$68.6

51.75%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.62 MX$30.02

129.63%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.09 MX$20.09

129.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.38 MX$62.5

138.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.59 MX$103

61.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.72 MX$31.71

-34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.66 MX$49.12

40.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.96 MX$36.17

66.33%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.75 MX$50.9

51.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.82 MX$163

46.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.12 MX$168

55.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.47 MX$249

20.42%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.14 MX$58.0

37.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.66 MX$30.74

-12.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.04 MX$37.65

121.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.90 MX$35.12

128.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.79 MX$33.16

44.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.75 MX$32.42

34.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.49 MX$27.48

19.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.19 MX$21.95

86.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.59 MX$84.9

115.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.62 MX$307

-9.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.92 MX$35.43

52.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.83 MX$70.7

-9.66%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.63 MX$11.72

136.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$31.01 MX$573

34.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.99 MX$36.81

37.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.52 MX$9.68

219.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.32 MX$98.3

563.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 MX$28.48

-38.31%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.5K MX$397.7K

67.51%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.5K MX$434.5K

15.15%

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

$229 $229

$57.7 MX$1,067

296.66%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.01 MX$499

119.88%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.74 MX$457

182.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$26.37 MX$487

117.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.00 MX$203

48.45%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.47 MX$120

120.71%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$270 MX$4,996

456.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,048 MX$93.3K

325.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.1 MX$1,092

-10.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.94 MX$830

-2.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$100 MX$1,855

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$98.8 MX$1,826

4.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$243 MX$4,487

685.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$138 MX$2,550

823.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$683 MX$12.6K

436.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$444 MX$8,205

471.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$755 MX$14.0K

908.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$755 MX$13.9K

318.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$553 MX$10.2K

825.67%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Ecatepec: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ecatepec

$138 14.4% 89.2% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ecatepec

$298 31% 26.4% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ecatepec

$109 11.4% 69.4% $249

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ecatepec

$201 21% 43.1% $153

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ecatepec

$136 14.2% 6.6% $8.5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ecatepec

$39 4.1% 54.2% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ecatepec

$38 4% 35% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $243 in Ecatepec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 826% 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 $50.0 in Ecatepec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $298 per month, with Ecatepec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Ecatepec

🕒 Local time

01:10 1:10 AM

00:10 12:10 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,645,352

💱 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 Ecatepec 1,190 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ecatepec

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 Ecatepec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ecatepec wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ecatepec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 826% 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 $243 in Ecatepec. 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 $961 in Ecatepec – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ecatepec runs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $961 in Ecatepec versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ecatepec but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ecatepec 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 Ecatepec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.