Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Guadalajara

For one person, living is cheaper in Guadalajara: $1,302 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
64

Cost of Living Index in Guadalajara
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Guadalajara Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Guadalajara

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,302

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,302 in Guadalajara.

Austin, TX $2,704
Guadalajara $1,302

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,119 in Guadalajara.

Austin, TX $4,133
Guadalajara $2,119

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,936 in Guadalajara.

Austin, TX $5,562
Guadalajara $2,936

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 108% more expensive than in Guadalajara, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Guadalajara is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$13.67 MX$251

47.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$44.72 MX$821

90.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.08 MX$167

36.01%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.90 MX$71.5

40.26%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.67 MX$30.69

128.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.17 MX$21.56

113.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.71 MX$49.70

197.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.88 MX$89.6

84.22%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.76 MX$32.38

-35.80%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.62 MX$48.12

44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.73 MX$31.68

87.86%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.48 MX$45.56

66.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.99 MX$165

45.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.95 MX$183

43.82%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.52 MX$211

38.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.92 MX$53.6

50.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.60 MX$29.35

-9.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.04 MX$37.37

122.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 MX$32.27

138.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.00 MX$36.77

31.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.80 MX$33.03

31.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.49 MX$27.41

18.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.08 MX$19.87

100.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.63 MX$84.9

111.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.82 MX$199

36.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.94 MX$35.55

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.38 MX$62.1

2.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.58 MX$10.65

156.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$30.62 MX$562

32.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.20 MX$40.31

21.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.41 MX$25.86

12.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$12.36 MX$227

185.52%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.52 MX$27.90

-34.87%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.1K MX$387.5K

69.63%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.1K MX$442.2K

12.84%

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

$219 $219

$49.59 MX$911

342.17%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$22.94 MX$421

152.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$31.15 MX$572

119.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$28.66 MX$526

102.02%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$11.30 MX$207

31.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.57 MX$121

115.07%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$253 MX$4,645

496.53%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.9K MX$199.8K

97.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$60.1 MX$1,104

-14.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$40.27 MX$739

9.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$108 MX$1,983

-21.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$83.1 MX$1,525

26.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$856 MX$15.7K

125.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$497 MX$9,123

156.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,571 MX$28.8K

133.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,009 MX$18.5K

150.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,101 MX$56.9K

145.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,953 MX$35.9K

63.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$776 MX$14.2K

558.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.68

-41.87%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Guadalajara: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Guadalajara

$497 37.8% 60.9% $775

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Guadalajara

$280 21.3% 30.6% $123

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Guadalajara

$218 16.6% 37.3% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Guadalajara

$104 7.9% 70% $242

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Guadalajara

$131 10% 1.9% $2.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 51.5% $44

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Guadalajara

$42 3.2% 26% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $856 in Guadalajara. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 558% 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 $45.00 in Guadalajara for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $280 per month, with Guadalajara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Guadalajara

🕒 Local time

08:48 8:48 AM

07:48 7:48 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,385,629

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Guadalajara 1,210 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Guadalajara

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 Guadalajara: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Guadalajara wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guadalajara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 558% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $856 in Guadalajara. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,302 in Guadalajara – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Guadalajara runs roughly 32% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,302 in Guadalajara versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Guadalajara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Guadalajara the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guadalajara delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,302 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guadalajara hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guadalajara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.