Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Montanita

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $894 in Montanita.

Austin, TX $2,689
Montanita $894

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,349 in Montanita.

Austin, TX $4,112
Montanita $1,349

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $1,805 in Montanita.

Austin, TX $5,534
Montanita $1,805

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 201% more expensive than in Montanita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Montanita is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$3.45 $3.45

518.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$28.46 $28.46

208.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$7.47 $7.47

66.53%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$2.52 $2.52

122.22%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$0.87 $0.87

319.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.67 $0.67

256.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.05 $2.05

281.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$3.59 $3.59

143.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 $1.09

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.62 $1.62

123.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.56 $1.56

124.36%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.18 $2.18

104.13%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$5.60 $5.60

135.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$5.46 $5.46

155.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$6.14 $6.14

168.08%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.08 $2.08

127.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.20 $1.20

25.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.08 $1.08

329.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.09 $1.09

314.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.44 $1.44

77.08%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.08 $1.08

121.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.48 $0.48

283.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.99 $0.99

115.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$6.18 $6.18

62.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$9.87 $9.87

50.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.52 $1.52

85.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.44 $2.44

34.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.34 $0.34

261.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$23.63 $23.63

75.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.47 $1.47

82.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$0.99 $0.99

64.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$9.96 $9.96

253.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.63 $0.63

55.56%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$24.7K $24.7K

39.36%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$28.5K $28.5K

-5.86%

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

$252 $252

$39.32 $39.32

541.48%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$13.65 $13.65

338.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$30.74 $30.74

126.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$30.35 $30.35

98.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$14.74 $14.74

23.07%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$7.39 $7.39

86.06%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$254 $254

473.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$5,701 $5,701

366.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$56.1 $56.1

-6.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$43.64 $43.64

4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$99.0 $99.0

-13.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$75.9 $75.9

39.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$342 $342

541.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$322 $322

294.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$632 $632

532.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$507 $507

374.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,259 $1,259

486.18%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,013 $1,013

192.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

-31.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Montanita: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Montanita

$322 36% 74.7% $947

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Montanita

$184 20.6% 54.7% $223

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Montanita

$84 9.4% 78.1% $298

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Montanita

$104 11.6% 70.8% $252

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Montanita

$124 13.8% 5.2% $6.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Montanita

$45 5.1% 48.6% $43

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Montanita

$31 3.5% 45.1% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $342 in Montanita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $28 in Montanita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $184 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇨 Montanita

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

17:33 5:33 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Montanita 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Montanita

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 Montanita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Montanita wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Montanita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $1,341 in Montanita to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $342 in Montanita. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $894 in Montanita – Montanita is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Montanita runs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $894 in Montanita versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita 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 Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.