Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Puerto Escondido

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Escondido: $1,151 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
56

Cost of Living Index in Puerto Escondido
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Puerto Escondido Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Puerto Escondido

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,151

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Puerto Escondido

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,151 in Puerto Escondido.

Austin, TX $2,663
Puerto Escondido $1,151

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,856 in Puerto Escondido.

Austin, TX $4,133
Puerto Escondido $1,856

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,561 in Puerto Escondido.

Austin, TX $5,603
Puerto Escondido $2,561

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 131% more expensive than in Puerto Escondido, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Puerto Escondido is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.52 MX$194

97.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$42.96 MX$794

96.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.65 MX$160

42.43%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.58 MX$66.1

57.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.42 MX$26.25

161.97%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.05 MX$19.38

138.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.04 MX$56.2

164.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.05 MX$74.9

122.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.85 MX$34.14

-39.46%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.84 MX$52.5

32.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.64 MX$30.22

98.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.80 MX$51.7

48.93%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.20 MX$152

57.32%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.98 MX$203

28.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.54 MX$213

40.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.68 MX$49.45

61.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 MX$29.42

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.86 MX$34.42

142.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.73 MX$32.01

150.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.59 MX$29.46

62.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.02 MX$37.35

16.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.48 MX$27.28

20.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.14 MX$21.15

94.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.48 MX$82.7

120.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.36 MX$191

45.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.46 MX$45.43

18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.09 MX$57.1

11.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.83 MX$15.35

79.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.80 MX$51.7

-2.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.78 MX$32.92

-6.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.89 MX$183

256.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.36 MX$25.14

-30.15%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$18.7K MX$344.9K

93.14%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K MX$465.2K

7.54%

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

$229 $229

$64.7 MX$1,196

253.93%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$22.92 MX$424

159.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$36.45 MX$674

91.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$27.77 MX$513

106.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.89 MX$368

-17.90%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.56 MX$84.2

213.16%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$220 MX$4,069

583.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,364 MX$80.6K

391.62%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$49.88 MX$922

5.87%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$42.79 MX$791

2.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$91.6 MX$1,693

-7.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$84.0 MX$1,553

22.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$601 MX$11.1K

217.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$382 MX$7,061

233.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$960 MX$17.7K

281.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$778 MX$14.4K

226.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,036 MX$37.6K

274.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,289 MX$23.8K

144.92%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$327 MX$6,035

1468.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.3

-39.91%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Puerto Escondido: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Puerto Escondido

$382 33.2% 70% $892

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Puerto Escondido

$285 24.8% 29.5% $119

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Puerto Escondido

$124 10.8% 65.4% $234

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Puerto Escondido

$186 16.2% 47.4% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Puerto Escondido

$121 10.5% 5.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Puerto Escondido

$37 3.2% 57% $49

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Puerto Escondido

$15 * 1.3% 74.4% $44

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 $601 in Puerto Escondido. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1468% 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 $43.00 in Puerto Escondido for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $285 per month, with Puerto Escondido cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Puerto Escondido

🕒 Local time

10:13 10:13 AM

09:13 9:13 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,902

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 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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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Puerto Escondido 1,600 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Puerto Escondido

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 Puerto Escondido: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Puerto Escondido wins on cost – living expenses run 131% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Escondido the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1468% 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 $601 in Puerto Escondido. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $220 in Puerto Escondido. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Escondido – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,151 in Puerto Escondido versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Escondido but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Escondido the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Puerto Escondido delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,151 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Puerto Escondido hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Puerto Escondido 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 Puerto Escondido gentler on the wallet – expenses run 131% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.