Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Los Alamos, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM: $1,060 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
51

Cost of Living Index in Los Alamos, NM
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Los Alamos, NM Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Los Alamos, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$1,060

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM.

Austin, TX $2,698
Los Alamos, NM $1,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,643 in Los Alamos, NM.

Austin, TX $4,160
Los Alamos, NM $1,643

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,227 in Los Alamos, NM.

Austin, TX $5,622
Los Alamos, NM $2,227

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 155% more expensive than in Los Alamos, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Los Alamos, NM is 22% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$16.75 $16.75

23.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$39.58 $39.58

113.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$9.82 $9.82

22.91%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.95 $4.95

10.71%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.52 $2.52

50.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.53 $1.53

61.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.91 $5.91

36.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.89 $6.89

28.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.95 $0.95

16.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.16 $2.16

72.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$4.62 $4.62

-27.06%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.01 $4.01

7.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.89 $11.89

10.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.74 $9.74

45.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.91 $17.91

-8.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.87 $4.87

-6.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.43 $1.43

2.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.85 $2.85

65.26%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.36 $4.36

-4.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.11 $1.11

132.43%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.34 $3.34

-29.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.05 $2.05

-13.66%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.52 $0.52

311.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.00 $11.00

-8.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.84 $13.84

9.75%

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

$3.65 $3.65

-5.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.61 $3.61

-22.44%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.94 $1.94

-17.53%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$32.32 $32.32

6.25%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.0K $30.0K

13.16%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.73%

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

$223 $223

$156 $156

42.40%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$40.31 $40.31

46.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$72.5 $72.5

-2.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.88 $12.88

10.71%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,480 $1,480

2.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$25.0K $25.0K

-16.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$20.09 $20.09

155.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$43.66 $43.66

1.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$102 $102

-15.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$117 $117

-10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,101 $1,101

76.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,926 $1,926

90.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$3,369 $3,369

118.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$3,369 $3,369

-7.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$8,167 $8,167

-35.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.57

3.35%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Los Alamos, NM: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Los Alamos, NM

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Los Alamos, NM

$342 32.3% 15.8% $64

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Los Alamos, NM

$269 25.4% 23.6% $83

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Los Alamos, NM

$282 26.7% 19.3% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Los Alamos, NM

$127 12% 1.4% $1.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$26 * 2.4% 70.1% $60

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Los Alamos, NM

$13 * 1.3% 77% $45

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Los Alamos, NM pays 54% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $40.00 in Los Alamos, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $342 per month, with Los Alamos, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Los Alamos, NM

🕒 Local time

13:07 1:07 PM

12:07 12:07 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,179

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Los Alamos, NM 1,010 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Los Alamos, NM wins on cost – living expenses run 155% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Los Alamos, NM the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Los Alamos, NM. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,101 in Los Alamos, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,480 in Los Alamos, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Los Alamos, NM – a meal for two runs $40.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,060 in Los Alamos, NM versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Los Alamos, NM but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Los Alamos, 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 Los Alamos, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.