Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Harlingen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Harlingen, TX: $1,864 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
90

Cost of Living Index in Harlingen, TX
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Harlingen, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Harlingen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,864

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,864 in Harlingen, TX.

Austin, TX $2,607
Harlingen, TX $1,864

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $2,525 in Harlingen, TX.

Austin, TX $4,031
Harlingen, TX $2,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $3,187 in Harlingen, TX.

Austin, TX $5,454
Harlingen, TX $3,187

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 40% more expensive than in Harlingen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Harlingen, TX 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$12.35 $12.35

64.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$47.75 $47.75

77.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$8.06 $8.06

50.37%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.40 $4.40

28.41%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.98 $1.98

85.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.01 $2.01

17.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$4.89 $4.89

60.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$4.58 $4.58

92.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.97 $0.97

17.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.96 $2.96

24.66%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.58 $4.58

-27.73%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.48 $3.48

19.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$9.91 $9.91

30.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$12.63 $12.63

9.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$15.03 $15.03

8.72%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.00 $5.00

-6.20%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.32 $1.32

9.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.30 $3.30

54.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.08 $2.08

117.31%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.03 $3.03

1.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.66 $2.66

-10.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.11 $2.11

5.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.79 $9.79

1.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.85 $15.85

-5.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.12 $2.12

37.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$2.28 $2.28

46.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.17 $4.17

-33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.78 $0.78

111.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.84 $0.84

13.10%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.4K $29.4K

16.48%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K $24.5K

9.08%

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

$223 $223

$163 $163

36.62%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$36.82 $36.82

58.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$49.96 $49.96

42.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.10 $12.10

16.20%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$779 $779

87.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$77.8 $77.8

-32.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$44.87 $44.87

-4.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$75.6 $75.6

14.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$94.2 $94.2

10.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$840 $840

151.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$865 $865

42.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$1,375 $1,375

181.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$1,038 $1,038

131.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$1,900 $1,900

290.80%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,892 $1,892

61.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,073 $4,073

27.15%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.48

5.25%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Harlingen, TX: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Harlingen, TX

$865 46.4% 29.7% $365

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Harlingen, TX

$360 19.3% 12.2% $50

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Harlingen, TX

$250 13.4% 29.1% $103

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Harlingen, TX

$225 12.1% 35.3% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Harlingen, TX

$132 7.1% 2.5% $3.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Harlingen, TX

$24 * 1.3% 70.2% $57

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Harlingen, TX

$8 * 0.4% 85.8% $48

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 $2,112 in Austin, TX and $840 in Harlingen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 27% 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 in Austin, TX vs $48 in Harlingen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $360 per month, with Harlingen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Harlingen, TX

🕒 Local time

22:51 10:51 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

71,829

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Harlingen, TX 450 km

From you

Austin, TX
Harlingen, TX

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 Harlingen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Harlingen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 28% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Harlingen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 27% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $840 in Harlingen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $779 in Harlingen, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Harlingen, TX – a meal for two runs $48 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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.

It comes down to priorities – Harlingen, TX wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.