Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and McAllen, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in McAllen, TX: $1,788 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
87

Cost of Living Index in McAllen, TX
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McAllen, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

McAllen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,788

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,788 in McAllen, TX.

Austin, TX $2,663
McAllen, TX $1,788

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,731 in McAllen, TX.

Austin, TX $4,133
McAllen, TX $2,731

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,674 in McAllen, TX.

Austin, TX $5,603
McAllen, TX $3,674

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 49% more expensive than in McAllen, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, McAllen, TX 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$18.21 $18.21

14.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$76.3 $76.3

10.81%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.93 $7.93

55.36%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.53 $4.53

24.28%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.44 $2.44

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.93 $1.93

29.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.97 $4.97

61.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.40 $5.40

66.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.97 $0.97

15.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.94 $2.94

27.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.36 $4.36

-25.23%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.37 $3.37

23.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.87 $9.87

30.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.58 $12.58

12.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.09 $15.09

7.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$5.14 $5.14

-15.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.39 $2.39

-38.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.28 $3.28

37.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.06 $2.06

110.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.96 $2.96

-12.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.62 $2.62

-10.31%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.74 $1.74

2.30%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.09 $2.09

6.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.68 $8.68

13.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.75 $15.75

-4.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.09 $2.09

39.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.22 $2.22

55.86%

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

$4.29 $4.29

-36.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.78 $0.78

112.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.89 $0.89

6.74%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.0K $27.0K

33.51%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.5K $23.5K

15.44%

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

$229 $229

$164 $164

39.31%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$37.59 $37.59

57.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$66.3 $66.3

5.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$44.90 $44.90

27.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.23 $12.23

16.76%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$908 $908

65.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$78.5 $78.5

-32.74%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$44.89 $44.89

-2.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.2 $74.2

14.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.6 $96.6

6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$816 $816

133.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$669 $669

90.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,342 $1,342

173.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,144 $1,144

121.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,676 $1,676

354.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,700 $1,700

85.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,646 $3,646

40.46%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.48

4.78%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for McAllen, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

McAllen, TX

$669 37.4% 47.5% $605

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

McAllen, TX

$364 20.4% 10.1% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

McAllen, TX

$268 15% 25.1% $90

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

McAllen, TX

$277 15.5% 21.7% $77

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

McAllen, TX

$132 7.4% 3.5% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

McAllen, TX

$69 3.9% 19.2% $16

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

McAllen, TX

$8.2 * 0.5% 86% $50

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 $816 in McAllen, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% 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 $76.0 in McAllen, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $364 per month, with McAllen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 McAllen, TX

🕒 Local time

19:32 7:32 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

142,210

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX McAllen, TX 450 km

From you

Austin, TX
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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 McAllen, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

McAllen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making McAllen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 40% 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 $816 in McAllen, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $908 in McAllen, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in McAllen, TX – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,788 in McAllen, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in McAllen, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes McAllen, TX 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 McAllen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.