Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Havana

For one person, living is cheaper in Havana: $860 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Havana
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Havana Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Havana

🇨🇺 Cuba

$860

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $860 in Havana.

Austin, TX $2,663
Havana $860

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,388 in Havana.

Austin, TX $4,133
Havana $1,388

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,916 in Havana.

Austin, TX $5,603
Havana $1,916

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 210% more expensive than in Havana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Havana is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.59 CUP 86.3

478.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$27.63 CUP 663

206.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.88 CUP 117

152.46%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.06 CUP 25.42

431.13%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.51 CUP 36.33

146.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.99 CUP 23.80

152.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.24 CUP 29.66

549.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.05 CUP 49.10

339.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.68 CUP 64.3

-58.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.22 CUP 29.26

207.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.76 CUP 42.35

85.23%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.50 CUP 83.9

19.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$4.52 CUP 108

185.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.66 CUP 112

203.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.56 CUP 205

89.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.20 CUP 149

-30.16%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.02 CUP 24.55

43.14%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.83 CUP 92.0

17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.24 CUP 53.8

93.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.93 CUP 70.2

-11.95%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.74 CUP 65.7

-14.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.72 CUP 17.33

147.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.57 CUP 13.60

289.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.61 CUP 38.72

513.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.37 CUP 129

180.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.77 CUP 42.38

64.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.05 CUP 49.30

68.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.63 CUP 15.17

136.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$22.13 CUP 531

88.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.63 CUP 63.1

3.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.33 CUP 7.98

403.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$19.63 CUP 471

79.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.27 CUP 30.50

-25.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$60.4K CUP 1.5M

-40.34%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$59.1K CUP 1.4M

-54.20%

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

$229 $229

$46.62 CUP 1,119

391.18%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$39.24 CUP 942

51.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$89.3 CUP 2,144

-21.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$16.35 CUP 392

250.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$12.84 CUP 308

27.18%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$0.83 CUP 19.99

1620.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$156 CUP 3,752

863.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.5K CUP 298.9K

72.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.2 CUP 1,253

1.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.71 CUP 1,001

5.06%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$80.0 CUP 1,919

6.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$67.6 CUP 1,623

52.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$246 CUP 5,911

674.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$219 CUP 5,245

482.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$872 CUP 20.9K

320.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$508 CUP 12.2K

399.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$314 CUP 7,545

2321.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$407 CUP 9,762

676.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$29.60 CUP 710

17199.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

9.1

-25.38%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Havana: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Havana

$219 25.4% 82.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Havana

$234 27.2% 42.2% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Havana

$175 20.4% 51.1% $183

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Havana

$76 8.9% 78.4% $277

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Havana

$109 12.6% 15.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Havana

$18 2.1% 79% $68

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Havana

$29 3.4% 50.7% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $246 in Havana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 17200% 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 $28.00 in Havana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $234 per month, with Havana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇺 Havana

🕒 Local time

13:19 1:19 PM

14:19 2:19 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,141,993 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Cuban Peso CUP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

100 CUP = 4.17 USD

100 CUP = 3.71 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CUP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇺 Cuban Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Cuban Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 24 CUP (100 CUP = 4.17 USD). 1 EUR = 26.98 CUP (100 CUP = 3.71 EUR).

CUP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Havana 1,720 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Havana

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 Havana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Havana wins on cost – living expenses run 210% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Havana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 17200% 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 $246 in Havana. 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 $860 in Havana – a 210% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Havana runs roughly 89% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $860 in Havana versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Havana but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Havana 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 Havana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.