Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Merida

For one person, living is cheaper in Merida: $1,334 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Merida
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Merida Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Merida

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,334

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,334 in Merida.

Austin, TX $2,704
Merida $1,334

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,174 in Merida.

Austin, TX $4,133
Merida $2,174

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,014 in Merida.

Austin, TX $5,562
Merida $3,014

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 103% more expensive than in Merida, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Merida 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$13.90 MX$255

45.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$55.7 MX$1,022

52.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.11 MX$149

52.28%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.97 MX$73.0

37.78%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.14 MX$21.00

235.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.18 MX$21.67

111.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.07 MX$56.4

162.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.87 MX$71.1

132.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.60 MX$29.30

-29.38%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.64 MX$48.41

43.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.73 MX$31.83

87.86%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.97 MX$36.18

110.15%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.31 MX$189

26.87%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$7.70 MX$141

85.84%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.54 MX$230

27.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.77 MX$50.9

58.12%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.41 MX$25.89

2.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.14 MX$39.21

112.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.08 MX$38.10

101.44%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.36 MX$43.25

11.44%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.83 MX$33.53

28.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.43 MX$26.27

23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.13 MX$20.80

91.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.44 MX$81.4

120.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$10.90 MX$200

35.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.47 MX$27.06

89.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.51 MX$46.08

38.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.67 MX$12.36

122.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$19.76 MX$363

105.01%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.73 MX$50.1

-2.20%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$3.76 MX$69.1

-57.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$8.82 MX$162

300.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.58 MX$29.04

-37.34%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.5K MX$393.9K

66.88%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.4K MX$447.1K

11.60%

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

$219 $219

$113 MX$2,076

93.96%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$21.35 MX$392

171.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$35.42 MX$650

93.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$30.12 MX$553

92.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$11.83 MX$217

25.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.57 MX$139

86.66%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$266 MX$4,880

467.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,584 MX$65.8K

498.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$55.6 MX$1,020

-7.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$54.2 MX$995

-18.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$102 MX$1,869

-16.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$87.2 MX$1,602

20.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$634 MX$11.6K

204.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$468 MX$8,585

172.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,243 MX$22.8K

195.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$967 MX$17.8K

161.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,252 MX$41.4K

238.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,234 MX$22.7K

159.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$604 MX$11.1K

744.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.64

-41.67%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Merida: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Merida

$468 34.7% 63.2% $805

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Merida

$270 20% 33.1% $133

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Merida

$216 16% 38.1% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Merida

$170 12.6% 50.9% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Merida

$134 10% 4.4% $5.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Merida

$45 3.4% 47.5% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Merida

$44 3.3% 22.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $634 in Merida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 745% 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 $56.0 in Merida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $270 per month, with Merida cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Merida

🕒 Local time

23:55 11:55 PM

22:55 10:55 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

975,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 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 = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Merida 1,320 km ≈ 2 h 15 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Merida

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 Merida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Merida wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Merida the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 745% 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 $634 in Merida. 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 $1,334 in Merida – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Merida runs roughly 105% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,334 in Merida versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Merida but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Merida the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Merida delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,334 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Merida hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Merida 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 Merida gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.