Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Leon

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $1,489 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Leon
🇪🇸 Spain
$1,489
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,489 in Leon.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Leon $1,489

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,086 in Leon.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Leon $2,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,683 in Leon.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Leon $2,683

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 79% more expensive than in Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Leon 10% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$16.50 €14.68
25.88%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$42.47 €37.77
99.18%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$9.12 €8.11
35.09%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.96 €2.63
90.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.49 €2.22
49.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.38 €1.23
81.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.71 €2.41
197.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.33 €2.96
170.57%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.07 €0.95
4.67%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.34 €1.19
179.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.30 €1.15
150.77%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.39 €3.02
23.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$9.96 €8.86
29.52%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$6.19 €5.50
128.76%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$15.42 €13.72
5.19%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.40 €2.14
80.42%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.25 €2.00
-35.11%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.34 €2.08
92.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.37 €2.10
83.12%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.75 €1.56
47.43%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.94 €1.72
21.13%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.07 €0.95
66.36%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.81 €0.72
174.07%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$5.58 €4.97
77.06%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$4.92 €4.38
206.50%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.56 €1.39
87.18%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.89 €1.68
83.07%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.33 €1.18
12.03%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$33.44 €29.74
24.76%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$2.25 €2.00
21.33%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.26 €1.12
31.75%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$35.54 €31.61
-0.68%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.69 €1.50
-43.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$37.3K €33.2K
-3.43%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$31.2K €27.7K
-13.15%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$173 €154
32.44%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$16.70 €14.86
255.63%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$30.05 €26.73
132.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$33.80 €30.06
69.35%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$6.28 €5.59
160.03%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$8.73 €7.77
63.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$206 €183
631.89%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
-
-
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$96.1 €85.5
-45.04%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$15.88 €14.13
175.94%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$82.5 €73.4
2.75%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$56.3 €50.1
83.03%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$858 €763
122.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$587 €522
117.14%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$938 €835
290.50%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$730 €650
247.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,982 €1,763
284.06%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,550 €1,379
103.68%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Leon
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$1,708 €1,519
199.85%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.6
88.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Leon: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Leon
$587 53.9% $687
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Leon
$241 40.4% $163
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Leon
$220 38.7% $139
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Leon
$231 34.9% $123
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Leon
$113 11.8% $15
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Leon
$51 40.2% $35
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Leon
$47 19.4% $11

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $858 in Leon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 200% 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 $42.00 in Leon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $241 per month, with Leon cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇪🇸 Leon
🕒 Local time
16:04 4:04 PM
23:04 11:04 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
121,281
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Leon 7,950 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Leon

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 Leon: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Leon?
Leon wins on cost – living expenses run 79% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leon the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Leon?
Average pay runs 200% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Leon?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $858 in Leon. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Leon?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,489 in Leon – a 79% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Leon?
A monthly transit pass in Leon runs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Leon?
At $1,489 in Leon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Leon but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Leon the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Leon?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Leon?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Leon are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Leon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 79% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?