Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mexicali

For one person, living is cheaper in Mexicali: $949 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,100 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Mexicali
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Mexicali Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mexicali

🇲🇽 Mexico

$949

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $949 in Mexicali.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mexicali $949

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,525 in Mexicali.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mexicali $1,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,101 in Mexicali.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mexicali $2,101

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 185% more expensive than in Mexicali, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Mexicali is 29% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$12.10 MX$222

67.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$34.24 MX$629

148.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$6.69 MX$123

84.60%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.43 MX$62.9

59.48%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.34 MX$24.60

185.07%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.12 MX$20.65

123.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.23 MX$59.2

149.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.26 MX$78.2

111.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.20 MX$22.10

-5.83%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.39 MX$43.96

58.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.54 MX$28.33

111.04%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.76 MX$50.7

50.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$2.42 MX$44.48

440.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.00 MX$110

138.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$6.66 MX$122

139.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.63 MX$29.85

168.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.40 MX$25.74

3.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.40 MX$25.78

224.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.63 MX$29.98

157.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.41 MX$25.91

86.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.42 MX$26.03

66.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.35 MX$24.70

30.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.85 MX$15.66

154.12%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.01 MX$73.7

144.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.06 MX$148

82.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.94 MX$35.61

43.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.90 MX$71.6

-10.77%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.05 MX$19.20

41.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$35.15 MX$645

15.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.84 MX$52.1

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.26 MX$41.57

-30.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$19.06 MX$350

85.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.34 MX$24.60

-26.12%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.7K MX$399.3K

64.62%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.4K MX$447.3K

11.55%

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

$219 $219

$47.14 MX$866

365.15%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$22.65 MX$416

156.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$30.19 MX$554

126.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$39.21 MX$720

47.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$16.63 MX$305

-10.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.08 MX$75.0

246.32%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$210 MX$3,860

617.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,724 MX$86.7K

354.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$34.95 MX$642

47.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$32.98 MX$605

33.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$77.4 MX$1,420

9.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$38.03 MX$698

176.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$998 MX$18.3K

93.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$276 MX$5,059

361.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,357 MX$24.9K

170.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$556 MX$10.2K

353.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,638 MX$48.4K

188.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,474 MX$27.1K

116.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$860 MX$15.8K

493.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

12.07

-43.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mexicali: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mexicali

$276 29.1% 78.3% $997

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mexicali

$197 20.8% 51.1% $206

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mexicali

$192 20.3% 44.7% $156

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mexicali

$100 10.5% 71.1% $246

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mexicali

$83 8.7% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mexicali

$47 5% 45% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mexicali

$53 5.6% 6.2% $3.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $998 in Mexicali. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 493% 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 $34.00 in Mexicali for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $197 per month, with Mexicali cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Mexicali

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

00:13 12:13 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

854,186

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mexicali 1,700 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mexicali

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 Mexicali: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mexicali wins on cost – living expenses run 185% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mexicali the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 493% 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 $998 in Mexicali. 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 $949 in Mexicali – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mexicali runs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $949 in Mexicali versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mexicali but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mexicali 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 Mexicali 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 Mexicali gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.