Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Las Cruces, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Las Cruces, NM: $2,067 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Las Cruces, NM
Learn more

Las Cruces, NM Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Las Cruces, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,067

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM.

Austin, TX $2,698
Las Cruces, NM $2,067

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,132 in Las Cruces, NM.

Austin, TX $4,160
Las Cruces, NM $3,132

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,196 in Las Cruces, NM.

Austin, TX $5,622
Las Cruces, NM $4,196

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 30% more expensive than in Las Cruces, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Las Cruces, NM 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.34 $17.34

18.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$45.20 $45.20

87.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.15 $12.15

-0.66%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.78 $5.78

-5.19%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.40 $2.40

58.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.17 $2.17

13.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.31 $6.31

27.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$9.13 $9.13

-2.74%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.77 $0.77

44.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.60 $3.60

3.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$3.76 $3.76

-10.37%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.72 $4.72

-8.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.56 $13.56

-3.17%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$12.04 $12.04

17.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.48 $17.48

-6.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.37 $4.37

4.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.11 $2.11

-30.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.39 $3.39

38.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.87 $3.87

7.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.36 $2.36

9.32%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.37 $2.37

-0.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.80 $1.80

-1.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.84 $1.84

16.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.02 $11.02

-8.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$15.10 $15.10

0.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.46 $2.46

14.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.51 $3.51

-1.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.99 $0.99

55.56%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$38.50 $38.50

6.47%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.35 $2.35

19.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$2.32 $2.32

-31.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.98 $0.98

-4.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$27.8K $27.8K

22.31%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.9K $23.9K

12.18%

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

$223 $223

$176 $176

26.48%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$57.0 $57.0

3.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$87.4 $87.4

-19.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$50.2 $50.2

15.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$10.89 $10.89

51.79%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$10.09 $10.09

41.33%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$683 $683

121.36%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$58.2 $58.2

-11.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$31.55 $31.55

40.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$84.7 $84.7

2.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$102 $102

2.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$966 $966

100.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$794 $794

65.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,725 $1,725

112.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,532 $1,532

67.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,121 $2,121

246.77%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,971 $1,971

58.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$3,589 $3,589

47.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.36

6.76%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Las Cruces, NM: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Las Cruces, NM

$794 38.4% 39.7% $522

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Las Cruces, NM

$389 18.8% 4.2% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Las Cruces, NM

$320 15.5% 9% $32

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Las Cruces, NM

$313 15.1% 10.7% $37

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Las Cruces, NM

$124 6% 3.6% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$70 3.4% 18.4% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Las Cruces, NM

$56 2.7% 2.6% $1.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $966 in Las Cruces, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 47% 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 Las Cruces, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $389 per month, with Las Cruces, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Las Cruces, NM

🕒 Local time

23:35 11:35 PM

22:35 10:35 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

111,385

💱 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 Las Cruces, NM 890 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Las Cruces, NM

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 Las Cruces, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Las Cruces, NM wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Las Cruces, NM the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 47% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $966 in Las Cruces, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Las Cruces, NM runs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,067 in Las Cruces, NM versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Las Cruces, NM but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Las Cruces, NM 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 Las Cruces, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.