Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mazatlan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mazatlan: $1,436 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,200 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Mazatlan
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Mazatlan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mazatlan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,436 in Mazatlan.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mazatlan $1,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,041 in Mazatlan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mazatlan $2,041

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,645 in Mazatlan.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mazatlan $2,645

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 88% more expensive than in Mazatlan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Mazatlan 7% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$10.96 MX$199

84.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$46.29 MX$842

83.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.37 MX$152

47.55%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.40 MX$61.8

60.88%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.45 MX$26.29

163.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.10 MX$19.94

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.13 MX$38.67

278.40%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.83 MX$51.5

217.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.64 MX$29.86

-31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.59 MX$47.05

45.95%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.33 MX$24.22

144.36%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.74 MX$49.92

51.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.06 MX$147

62.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.94 MX$126

106.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$7.67 MX$140

108.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.72 MX$49.43

61.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.70 MX$30.88

-14.71%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.62 MX$29.51

180.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.52 MX$9.43

705.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.63 MX$29.72

61.35%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.37 MX$24.89

72.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.60 MX$29.17

10.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.20 MX$76.4

133.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.98 MX$291

-7.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.03 MX$36.89

36.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.09 MX$56.2

12.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.69 MX$12.60

115.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$41.84 MX$761

-3.18%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.71 MX$67.4

-28.03%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.45 MX$44.58

-35.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.53 MX$27.91

-35.29%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.4K MX$389.3K

67.27%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.8K MX$450.8K

9.65%

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

$219 $219

$59.0 MX$1,074

271.39%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$46.93 MX$854

23.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$43.53 MX$792

57.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$45.05 MX$819

28.52%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.39 MX$79.9

221.87%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$88.4 MX$1,609

1606.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,007 MX$36.5K

968.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$63.9 MX$1,162

-19.13%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$27.58 MX$502

59.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$112 MX$2,036

-23.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$84.1 MX$1,530

25.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$788 MX$14.3K

145.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$619 MX$11.3K

105.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,241 MX$22.6K

195.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$840 MX$15.3K

200.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,579 MX$28.7K

382.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,051 MX$19.1K

204.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$533 MX$9,694

857.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.6

-41.47%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mazatlan: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mazatlan

$619 43.4% 51.3% $653

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mazatlan

$236 * 16.5% 41.5% $167

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mazatlan

$180 12.6% 48.3% $168

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mazatlan

$150 10.5% 56.7% $196

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mazatlan

$129 9.1% 0.5% $0.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mazatlan

$54 3.8% 37.5% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mazatlan

$61 4.2% 6.2% $3.6

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $788 in Mazatlan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 858% 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 $46.00 in Mazatlan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $236 per month, with Mazatlan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Mazatlan

🕒 Local time

02:06 2:06 AM

00:06 12:06 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

441,975

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mazatlan 1,170 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mazatlan

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 Mazatlan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mazatlan wins on cost – living expenses run 88% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mazatlan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 858% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $788 in Mazatlan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,436 in Mazatlan – a 88% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mazatlan runs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,436 in Mazatlan versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mazatlan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mazatlan 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 Mazatlan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 88% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.