Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Luquillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Luquillo: $1,260 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 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
61

Cost of Living Index in Luquillo
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Luquillo Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Luquillo

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,260

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,260 in Luquillo.

Austin, TX $2,663
Luquillo $1,260

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,013 in Luquillo.

Austin, TX $4,133
Luquillo $2,013

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,766 in Luquillo.

Austin, TX $5,603
Luquillo $2,766

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 111% more expensive than in Luquillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Luquillo is 7% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.51 $19.51

6.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.9 $80.9

4.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.07 $9.07

35.83%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.56 $3.56

58.15%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.60 $1.60

132.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.46 $1.46

71.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.06 $3.06

163.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.28 $2.28

295.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.23 $2.23

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.54 $3.54

5.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.32 $2.32

40.52%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.61 $7.61

-45.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.44 $12.44

3.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.60 $9.60

47.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.39 $13.39

21.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.94 $4.94

-12.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.53 $2.53

-42.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.73 $4.73

-4.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.92 $4.92

-11.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.74 $3.74

-31.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.00 $4.00

-41.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.42 $3.42

-47.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.66 $1.66

33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.86 $11.86

-16.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.10 $12.10

24.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.04 $3.04

-3.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.94 $3.94

-12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.54 $2.54

7.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.54 $1.54

7.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$41.93 $41.93

-15.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.85 $0.85

11.76%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$39.8K $39.8K

-9.41%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.7K $27.7K

-2.39%

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

$229 $229

$274 $274

-16.30%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$69.4 $69.4

-14.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.2 $69.2

1.01%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.51 $10.51

35.87%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$825 $825

82.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K $12.4K

72.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.8 $55.8

-5.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$61.5 $61.5

-28.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$108 $108

-21.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$112 $112

-7.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

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

$4,190 $4,190

22.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Luquillo: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Luquillo

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Luquillo

$406 32.3% 0.5% $1.8

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Luquillo

$412 32.7% 15% $54

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Luquillo

$258 20.5% 27.1% $96

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Luquillo

$152 12% 18.5% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Luquillo

$21 * 1.7% 75.5% $65

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Luquillo

$10 * 0.8% 82.5% $48

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 22% 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 $81.0 in Luquillo. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $406, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇷 Luquillo

🕒 Local time

15:11 3:11 PM

16:11 4:11 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Luquillo 3,490 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Luquillo

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 Luquillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luquillo wins on cost – living expenses run 111% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luquillo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 22% 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $825 in Luquillo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Luquillo – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,260 in Luquillo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Luquillo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Luquillo 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 Luquillo 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 Luquillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 111% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.