Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and La Plata

For one person, living is cheaper in La Plata: $959 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 La Plata
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La Plata Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

La Plata

🇦🇷 Argentina

$959

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in La Plata

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $959 in La Plata.

Austin, TX $2,663
La Plata $959

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,711 in La Plata.

Austin, TX $4,133
La Plata $1,711

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,464 in La Plata.

Austin, TX $5,603
La Plata $2,464

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 178% more expensive than in La Plata, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$15.43 ARS 23.4K

34.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.89 ARS 75.7K

69.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.82 ARS 14.9K

25.46%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.84 ARS 5,826

46.61%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.54 ARS 2,342

141.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.91 ARS 1,385

174.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.04 ARS 6,121

99.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.60 ARS 5,455

150.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.04 ARS 1,579

7.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.18 ARS 3,301

72.02%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.88 ARS 1,327

270.45%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.23 ARS 3,385

87.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.00 ARS 13.7K

43.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.40 ARS 8,182

162.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.44 ARS 14.3K

71.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.08 ARS 3,155

108.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 ARS 2,941

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.74 ARS 1,121

509.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.55 ARS 2,355

180.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.52 ARS 789

396.15%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.60 ARS 916

291.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.01 ARS 1,534

76.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.01 ARS 1,537

119.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.23 ARS 4,900

205.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.99 ARS 7,573

202.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.09 ARS 3,176

39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.83 ARS 4,285

22.26%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.73 ARS 1,107

104.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$4.59 ARS 6,961

808.93%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.55 ARS 2,350

76.13%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.67 ARS 1,020

147.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.76 ARS 11.8K

354.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.16 ARS 1,755

-18.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.0K ARS 33.4M

63.73%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.5K ARS 52.4M

-21.59%

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

$229 $229

$70.9 ARS 107.6K

222.84%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$11.14 ARS 16.9K

433.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.13 ARS 36.6K

189.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$26.16 ARS 39.7K

118.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.80 ARS 16.4K

51.20%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.36 ARS 8,121

166.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$138 ARS 209.5K

990.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,189 ARS 6.4M

412.19%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$108 ARS 163.1K

-50.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$20.87 ARS 31.6K

109.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$94.5 ARS 143.3K

-10.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$54.1 ARS 82.0K

90.44%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$346 ARS 524.8K

451.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$238 ARS 361.1K

435.10%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,207 ARS 1.8M

203.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$758 ARS 1.1M

234.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,009 ARS 3.0M

279.05%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,190 ARS 1.8M

165.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$716 ARS 1.1M

614.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-83.83%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for La Plata: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

La Plata

$238 24.8% 81.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

La Plata

$205 21.4% 49.4% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

La Plata

$106 11.1% 70.4% $252

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

La Plata

$236 24.6% 33.2% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

La Plata

$125 13% 2.6% $3.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

La Plata

$37 3.8% 57% $49

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

La Plata

$12 1.3% 78.8% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $346 in La Plata. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 615% 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 La Plata for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $205 per month, with La Plata cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇷 La Plata

🕒 Local time

09:58 9:58 AM

11:58 11:58 AM

2 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

193,144

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Argentine Peso ARS $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ARS, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,693 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.91 EUR).

ARS to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX La Plata 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
La Plata

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 La Plata: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

La Plata wins on cost – living expenses run 178% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making La Plata the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 615% 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 $346 in La Plata. 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 $959 in La Plata – a 178% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in La Plata runs roughly 809% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $959 in La Plata versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in La Plata but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes La Plata 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 La Plata 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 La Plata gentler on the wallet – expenses run 178% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.