Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Leon

For one person, living is cheaper in Leon: $1,223 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 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
60

Cost of Living Index in Leon
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Leon Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Leon

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,223

/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 $1,223 in Leon.

Austin, TX $2,663
Leon $1,223

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,985 in Leon.

Austin, TX $4,133
Leon $1,985

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,747 in Leon.

Austin, TX $5,603
Leon $2,747

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 118% more expensive than in Leon, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Leon is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.17 MX$206

85.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$55.2 MX$1,020

53.19%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.80 MX$163

40.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.03 MX$74.5

39.70%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.56 MX$28.84

138.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.25 MX$23.04

100.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.07 MX$56.8

162.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.93 MX$72.6

129.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.71 MX$31.67

-34.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.68 MX$49.51

39.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.80 MX$33.31

81.11%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.27 MX$60.4

27.52%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.21 MX$133

78.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.58 MX$140

86.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.81 MX$200

50.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.49 MX$46.03

73.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.38 MX$25.59

5.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.83 MX$33.76

146.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.54 MX$28.42

181.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.99 MX$36.75

29.65%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.09 MX$38.60

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.38 MX$25.56

28.99%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.70 MX$12.89

217.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.97 MX$129

41.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.63 MX$252

10.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.37 MX$43.71

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.61 MX$66.7

-4.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.75 MX$13.93

98.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$35.67 MX$659

16.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.77 MX$51.1

-1.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.72 MX$50.2

-38.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$14.96 MX$276

135.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.46 MX$26.97

-34.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.2K MX$392.0K

69.93%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.2K MX$446.3K

12.09%

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

$229 $229

$21.60 MX$399

960.14%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$40.70 MX$752

45.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$58.3 MX$1,077

19.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$60.7 MX$1,121

-5.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$34.51 MX$638

-52.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.47 MX$120

120.71%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$183 MX$3,386

721.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,826 MX$70.7K

460.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$56.8 MX$1,049

-6.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$66.0 MX$1,219

-33.56%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$101 MX$1,868

-16.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$115 MX$2,122

-10.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$524 MX$9,681

264.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$360 MX$6,653

253.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$761 MX$14.1K

381.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$683 MX$12.6K

271.88%

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

$532 MX$9,839

861.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.6

-41.47%

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 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Leon

$360 29.5% 71.7% $914

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Leon

$262 21.5% 35.2% $142

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Leon

$121 9.9% 66.3% $238

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Leon

$199 16.3% 43.9% $155

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Leon

$152 12.5% 19.1% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Leon

$74 6% 14.2% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Leon

$55 4.5% 6.2% $3.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $524 in Leon. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 862% 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 $55.0 in Leon for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $262 per month, with Leon cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Leon

🕒 Local time

00:49 12:49 AM

23:49 11:49 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,579,803

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Leon 1,090 km ≈ 1 h 45 min 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

Leon wins on cost – living expenses run 118% 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.

Average pay runs 862% 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 $524 in Leon. 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 $1,223 in Leon – a 118% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Leon runs roughly 17% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,223 in Leon versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 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.

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 Leon gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.