Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Manta

For one person, living is cheaper in Manta: $671 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Manta
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Manta Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Manta

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$671

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $671 in Manta.

Austin, TX $2,689
Manta $671

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,147 in Manta.

Austin, TX $4,112
Manta $1,147

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $1,623 in Manta.

Austin, TX $5,534
Manta $1,623

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 301% more expensive than in Manta, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Manta is 50% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$3.03 $3.03

604.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$49.44 $49.44

77.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$5.33 $5.33

133.40%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$2.73 $2.73

105.13%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$0.51 $0.51

615.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.38 $0.38

528.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$3.07 $3.07

154.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$3.85 $3.85

127.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 $1.03

8.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.92 $1.92

88.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.01 $1.01

246.53%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.03 $2.03

119.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$2.97 $2.97

343.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$2.93 $2.93

375.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$7.04 $7.04

133.81%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$0.99 $0.99

377.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$0.78 $0.78

92.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$0.67 $0.67

592.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$0.77 $0.77

487.01%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$0.52 $0.52

390.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.48 $0.48

397.92%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.71 $0.71

159.15%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.99 $0.99

115.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$3.88 $3.88

159.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$6.80 $6.80

118.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.01 $1.01

179.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.11 $2.11

55.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.50 $0.50

146.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.78 $1.78

50.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.46 $1.46

11.64%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$9.33 $9.33

277.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.74 $0.74

32.43%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$22.9K $22.9K

50.44%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$30.5K $30.5K

-12.21%

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

$252 $252

$95.7 $95.7

163.48%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$10.84 $10.84

452.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$26.35 $26.35

164.33%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$20.35 $20.35

196.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$34.88 $34.88

-47.99%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$4.94 $4.94

178.34%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$376 $376

288.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$9,347 $9,347

184.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$55.0 $55.0

-4.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$40.15 $40.15

13.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$99.1 $99.1

-13.71%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$63.1 $63.1

67.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$304 $304

620.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$138 $138

816.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$896 $896

346.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$342 $342

603.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$472 $472

968.99%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

10.05

-32.14%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Manta: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Manta

$138 20.6% 89.1% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Manta

$143 21.3% 65% $265

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Manta

$133 19.8% 65.2% $249

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Manta

$100 14.9% 72% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Manta

$116 17.3% 11.2% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Manta

$30 4.5% 65.6% $58

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Manta

$11 * 1.7% 80.6% $46

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 $2,195 in Austin, TX and $304 in Manta. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays about 11 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $49 in Manta for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $143 per month, with Manta cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇨 Manta

🕒 Local time

22:59 10:59 PM

23:59 11:59 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

217,553

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Manta 3,910 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Manta

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 Manta: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Manta wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Manta the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 11 times higher, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $304 in Manta. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $376 in Manta. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Manta – a meal for two runs $49 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $671 in Manta versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Manta but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Manta 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.

It comes down to priorities – Manta wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.