Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Morelia

For one person, living is cheaper in Morelia: $1,157 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,100 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Morelia
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Morelia Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Morelia

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,157

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,157 in Morelia.

Austin, TX $2,663
Morelia $1,157

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,866 in Morelia.

Austin, TX $4,133
Morelia $1,866

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,576 in Morelia.

Austin, TX $5,603
Morelia $2,576

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 130% more expensive than in Morelia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Morelia is 14% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.98 MX$129

197.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$37.95 MX$701

122.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.12 MX$113

101.31%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.54 MX$65.5

59.04%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.24 MX$22.99

200.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.21 MX$22.36

106.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.93 MX$54.1

174.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.93 MX$72.7

129.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.78 MX$32.95

-37.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.06 MX$56.5

22.55%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.96 MX$36.17

66.33%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.80 MX$51.8

48.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.88 MX$219

8.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.36 MX$173

51.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.95 MX$276

8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.05 MX$56.4

41.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 MX$30.54

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.97 MX$36.49

128.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.23 MX$41.16

94.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.96 MX$36.26

31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.81 MX$33.53

29.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.47 MX$27.12

21.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.33 MX$24.59

66.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.84 MX$71.0

157.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.11 MX$279

-0.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.89 MX$34.89

54.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.64 MX$67.3

-4.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.61 MX$11.28

144.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$24.38 MX$451

71.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.40 MX$25.96

95.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.53 MX$9.86

213.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.52 MX$102

539.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 MX$27.52

-36.24%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.4K MX$394.8K

68.72%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.3K MX$431.0K

16.07%

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

$229 $229

$61.6 MX$1,137

272.04%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$28.34 MX$524

109.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$34.37 MX$635

103.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.9 MX$959

10.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.22 MX$503

-40.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.32 MX$79.8

230.56%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$223 MX$4,117

575.94%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,837 MX$52.4K

656.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.6 MX$1,027

-4.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$37.62 MX$695

16.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$107 MX$1,985

-21.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$96.9 MX$1,790

6.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$346 MX$6,402

450.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$341 MX$6,296

273.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$930 MX$17.2K

293.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$706 MX$13.0K

259.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,651 MX$30.5K

361.09%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$653 MX$12.1K

383.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$668 MX$12.3K

666.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

10.53

-35.52%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Morelia: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Morelia

$341 29.5% 73.3% $933

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Morelia

$317 27.4% 21.6% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Morelia

$124 10.7% 65.3% $234

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Morelia

$149 12.9% 57.9% $205

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Morelia

$134 11.6% 4.6% $5.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Morelia

$61 5.2% 29.5% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Morelia

$31 2.7% 47.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $346 in Morelia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 667% 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 $38.00 in Morelia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $317 per month, with Morelia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Morelia

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

21:37 9:37 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

743,275

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Morelia 1,230 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Morelia

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 Morelia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Morelia wins on cost – living expenses run 130% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Morelia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 667% 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 $346 in Morelia. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,157 in Morelia – a 130% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Morelia runs roughly 71% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,157 in Morelia versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Morelia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Morelia 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 Morelia 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 Morelia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 130% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.