Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lucena

For one person, living is cheaper in Lucena: $646 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Lucena
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Lucena Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lucena

🇵🇭 Philippines

$646

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $646 in Lucena.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lucena $646

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,041 in Lucena.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lucena $1,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,436 in Lucena.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lucena $1,436

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 313% more expensive than in Lucena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Lucena is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.50 ₱94.5

1284.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$18.91 ₱1,191

347.33%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$1.72 ₱108

616.28%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.32 ₱83.2

326.52%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.33 ₱20.89

1027.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.29 ₱18.27

762.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.38 ₱86.7

483.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.28 ₱80.9

603.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.66 ₱105

-32.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.17 ₱73.5

220.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.92 ₱57.7

254.35%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.75 ₱111

138.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.82 ₱430

89.15%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.21 ₱265

236.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.13 ₱449

127.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.04 ₱254

7.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.37 ₱86.1

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.58 ₱225

25.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.17 ₱73.6

270.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.27 ₱143

13.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.30 ₱208

-28.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.42 ₱89.6

25.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.91 ₱57.1

143.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.74 ₱173

260.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.74 ₱488

94.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.34 ₱84.6

117.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.76 ₱111

96.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.24 ₱14.97

520.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.08 ₱761

245.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.81 ₱51.0

237.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.21 ₱13.20

690.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.54 ₱160

1289.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.23 ₱77.6

-22.76%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.3K ₱1.3M

69.22%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$18.8K ₱1.2M

44.31%

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

$229 $229

$47.89 ₱3,017

378.16%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.37 ₱401

832.34%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$11.06 ₱697

532.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$34.15 ₱2,151

67.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$4.02 ₱253

306.22%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.38 ₱465

93.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$71.9 ₱4,531

1993.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,515 ₱158.4K

753.27%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$35.78 ₱2,254

47.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$22.69 ₱1,429

93.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.7 ₱5,023

6.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$74.4 ₱4,686

38.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$262 ₱16.5K

629.30%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$170 ₱10.7K

650.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$516 ₱32.5K

610.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$357 ₱22.5K

611.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,274 ₱143.2K

234.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$921 ₱58.0K

242.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$320 ₱20.2K

1498.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-3.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lucena: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lucena

$170 26.3% 86.7% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lucena

$206 31.9% 49.1% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lucena

$65 10.1% 81.8% $293

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lucena

$45 7% 87.3% $309

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lucena

$96 14.8% 25.2% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lucena

$49 7.6% 43% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lucena

$15 2.3% 74.6% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $262 in Lucena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1499% 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 $19.00 in Lucena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $206 per month, with Lucena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Lucena

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

03:51 3:51 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

278,924

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PHP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.99 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.82 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Lucena 13,540 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lucena

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 Lucena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lucena wins on cost – living expenses run 313% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lucena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1499% 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 $262 in Lucena. 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 $646 in Lucena – a 313% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lucena runs roughly 245% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $646 in Lucena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lucena but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lucena 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 Lucena 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 Lucena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 313% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.