Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Isabela

For one person, living is cheaper in Isabela: $1,271 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Isabela
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Isabela Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Isabela

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,271

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,271 in Isabela.

Austin, TX $2,663
Isabela $1,271

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,989 in Isabela.

Austin, TX $4,133
Isabela $1,989

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,707 in Isabela.

Austin, TX $5,603
Isabela $2,707

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 109% more expensive than in Isabela, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Isabela is 6% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.06 $19.06

8.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.1 $82.1

3.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.24 $9.24

33.33%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.67 $3.67

53.41%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.89 $1.89

96.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.47 $1.47

70.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.09 $3.09

160.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.07 $5.07

77.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.94 $1.94

-42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.89 $2.89

29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.22 $1.22

167.21%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.95 $2.95

41.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.08 $11.08

16.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.56 $6.56

115.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.14 $13.14

23.44%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.30 $4.30

0.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.54 $2.54

-42.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$5.00 $5.00

-9.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.89 $4.89

-11.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.89 $3.89

-33.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.94 $3.94

-40.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.37 $3.37

-47.18%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.58 $1.58

40.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$12.06 $12.06

-18.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.85 $15.85

-4.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.14 $3.14

-7.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.98 $3.98

-13.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.55 $2.55

7.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.53 $1.53

8.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$41.80 $41.80

-15.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.82 $0.82

15.85%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$40.2K $40.2K

-10.23%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.7K $27.7K

-2.42%

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

$229 $229

$326 $326

-29.74%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$68.5 $68.5

-13.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$70.6 $70.6

-0.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.54 $10.54

35.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$814 $814

84.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.5K $12.5K

71.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.2 $57.2

-7.66%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$60.9 $60.9

-28.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$107 $107

-21.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$115 $115

-10.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

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

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Isabela: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Isabela

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Isabela

$359 28.2% 11.3% $46

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Isabela

$465 36.6% 29.8% $107

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Isabela

$263 20.7% 25.6% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Isabela

$153 12% 19.6% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Isabela

$21 * 1.7% 75.4% $65

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Isabela

$10 * 0.8% 82.6% $48

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $82.0 in Isabela for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $359 per month, with Isabela cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇷 Isabela

🕒 Local time

18:18 6:18 PM

19:18 7:18 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

45,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Isabela 3,360 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Isabela

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 Isabela: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Isabela wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Isabela the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,907 in Isabela 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $814 in Isabela. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Isabela – a meal for two runs $82.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,271 in Isabela versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Isabela but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Isabela 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 Isabela 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 Isabela gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.