Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Marikina

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $704 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $704 in Marikina.

Austin, TX $2,663
Marikina $704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,094 in Marikina.

Austin, TX $4,133
Marikina $1,094

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,484 in Marikina.

Austin, TX $5,603
Marikina $1,484

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 278% more expensive than in Marikina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Marikina is 48% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.07 ₱257

410.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.37 ₱2,038

161.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.17 ₱199

288.64%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.29 ₱144

145.85%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.55 ₱34.81

576.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.33 ₱20.92

657.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.01 ₱63.7

697.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.36 ₱149

281.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.85 ₱117

-39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.23 ₱77.7

204.88%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.06 ₱66.5

207.55%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.08 ₱131

100.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.39 ₱466

74.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.20 ₱264

237.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$6.78 ₱427

139.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.46 ₱155

76.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.03 ₱128

-28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.33 ₱146

93.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.30 ₱145

88.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.38 ₱150

8.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.48 ₱219

-32.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.10 ₱69.5

61.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.70 ₱44.21

217.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.93 ₱184

237.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.73 ₱550

72.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.98 ₱62.0

197.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.05 ₱129

68.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.50 ₱31.34

198.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.73 ₱46.04

273.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.23 ₱14.53

621.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.94 ₱122

1719.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.24 ₱78.3

-23.39%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.7K ₱1.4M

66.28%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$19.4K ₱1.2M

39.33%

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

$229 $229

$139 ₱8,744

64.88%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.19 ₱1,019

266.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.10 ₱1,769

148.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.73 ₱2,312

55.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.11 ₱448

100.84%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$131 ₱8,250

1049.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,456 ₱469.4K

187.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.9 ₱3,774

-11.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$28.37 ₱1,786

54.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$75.4 ₱4,745

12.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$54.7 ₱3,442

88.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$180 ₱11.3K

959.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$79.2 ₱4,986

1508.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$322 ₱20.3K

1037.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$145 ₱9,110

1654.16%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,134 ₱71.4K

571.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$481 ₱30.3K

556.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$387 ₱24.3K

1224.50%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.75

0.59%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Marikina: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Marikina

$79 11.3% 93.8% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Marikina

$206 29.2% 49.2% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Marikina

$183 26% 48.9% $175

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Marikina

$83 11.8% 76.6% $271

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Marikina

$98 14% 23.2% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Marikina

$51 7.2% 40.6% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Marikina

$3.9 * 0.6% 93.4% $55

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $180 in Marikina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1224% 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 $32.00 in Marikina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $206 per month, with Marikina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇭 Marikina

🕒 Local time

14:05 2:05 PM

03:05 3:05 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

456,059

💱 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 = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

PHP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Marikina 13,520 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Marikina

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 Marikina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Marikina wins on cost – living expenses run 278% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marikina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1224% 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 $180 in Marikina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $131 in Marikina. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Marikina – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $704 in Marikina versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marikina but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Marikina 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 Marikina 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 Marikina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.