Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Queretaro

For one person, living is cheaper in Queretaro: $1,458 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,000 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Queretaro
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Queretaro Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Queretaro

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,458

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,458 in Queretaro.

Austin, TX $2,704
Queretaro $1,458

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,209 in Queretaro.

Austin, TX $4,133
Queretaro $2,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,960 in Queretaro.

Austin, TX $5,562
Queretaro $2,960

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 85% more expensive than in Queretaro, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Queretaro 9% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.24 MX$204

79.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$64.3 MX$1,169

32.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.59 MX$174

28.78%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.59 MX$65.3

52.37%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.61 MX$29.27

137.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.10 MX$20.01

127.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.26 MX$59.2

147.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.55 MX$101

61.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.96 MX$35.64

-42.35%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.77 MX$50.4

36.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.04 MX$37.03

59.31%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.70 MX$49.12

53.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.21 MX$168

42.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.86 MX$161

61.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.80 MX$251

15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.40 MX$61.8

28.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 MX$30.49

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.16 MX$39.28

110.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.92 MX$35.00

118.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.86 MX$33.75

41.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.82 MX$33.12

29.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.55 MX$28.11

13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.25 MX$22.78

72.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.64 MX$84.5

111.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$18.28 MX$332

-19.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.19 MX$39.85

26.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.91 MX$71.2

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.60 MX$10.90

148.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$26.03 MX$473

55.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.25 MX$59.0

-17.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.57 MX$46.67

-38.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$10.88 MX$198

224.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.58 MX$28.80

-37.34%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.5K MX$391.3K

66.45%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.4K MX$443.3K

11.51%

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

$219 $219

$58.0 MX$1,055

278.18%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$27.03 MX$492

114.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$24.66 MX$449

177.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$57.1 MX$1,039

1.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$25.02 MX$455

-40.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.54 MX$137

87.40%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$269 MX$4,888

461.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,127 MX$93.3K

318.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$52.8 MX$960

-2.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$44.39 MX$807

-0.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$102 MX$1,853

-16.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$101 MX$1,828

4.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$850 MX$15.5K

127.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$574 MX$10.4K

121.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,460 MX$26.6K

151.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$849 MX$15.4K

197.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,208 MX$40.2K

244.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,244 MX$22.6K

157.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$943 MX$17.2K

441.21%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

11.99

-43.37%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Queretaro: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Queretaro

$574 39.7% 54.9% $699

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Queretaro

$311 21.5% 22.9% $92

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Queretaro

$200 13.8% 42.5% $148

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Queretaro

$110 7.6% 68.3% $236

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Queretaro

$135 9.3% 4.7% $6.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Queretaro

$72 5% 16.2% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Queretaro

$45 3.1% 21.9% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $850 in Queretaro. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 441% 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 $64.0 in Queretaro for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $311 per month, with Queretaro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Queretaro

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

02:33 2:33 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

804,663

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Queretaro 1,110 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Queretaro

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 Queretaro: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Queretaro wins on cost – living expenses run 85% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Queretaro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 441% 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 $850 in Queretaro. 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 $1,458 in Queretaro – a 85% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Queretaro runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,458 in Queretaro versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Queretaro but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Queretaro the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Queretaro delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,458 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Queretaro hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Queretaro 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 Queretaro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 85% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.