Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rio Rancho, NM

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Rio Rancho, NM: $2,607 and $2,601 a month, rent and utilities included.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Rio Rancho, NM
Learn more

Rio Rancho, NM Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Rio Rancho, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Rio Rancho, NM

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 Rio Rancho, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $2,601 in Rio Rancho, NM.

Austin, TX $2,607
Rio Rancho, NM $2,601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $3,835 in Rio Rancho, NM.

Austin, TX $4,031
Rio Rancho, NM $3,835

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,068 in Rio Rancho, NM.

Austin, TX $5,454
Rio Rancho, NM $5,068

Monthly costs are close between Austin, TX and Rio Rancho, NM; which city is cheaper depends on the spending category.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Rio Rancho, NM 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.26 $17.26

17.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$77.0 $77.0

10.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.86 $11.86

2.19%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.78 $5.78

-2.25%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.82 $2.82

30.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.34 $2.34

0.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$6.07 $6.07

29.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.89 $6.89

28.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.06 $1.06

7.55%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$3.28 $3.28

12.50%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$4.58 $4.58

-27.73%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$4.29 $4.29

-3.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$11.90 $11.90

9.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$19.72 $19.72

-29.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$18.87 $18.87

-13.41%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$5.61 $5.61

-16.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.69 $1.69

-14.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.04 $4.04

26.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.30 $4.30

5.12%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.09 $1.09

182.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.38 $3.38

-29.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.97 $1.97

-8.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.44 $2.44

-9.02%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$11.09 $11.09

-10.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.96 $15.96

-5.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.13 $2.13

36.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.69 $3.69

-9.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.95 $1.95

-37.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$59.1 $59.1

-31.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.06 $3.06

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$0.78 $0.78

111.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$32.16 $32.16

10.04%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.02 $1.02

-6.86%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.3K $29.3K

16.60%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.8K $25.8K

3.71%

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

$223 $223

$168 $168

32.49%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$44.98 $44.98

30.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$73.8 $73.8

-3.55%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$40.49 $40.49

31.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$18.04 $18.04

-22.06%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$1,327 $1,327

9.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$11.0K $11.0K

93.83%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$54.1 $54.1

-3.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$55.9 $55.9

-23.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$79.0 $79.0

9.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$116 $116

-10.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,566 $1,566

34.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,276 $1,276

-3.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,542 $2,542

51.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,106 $2,106

14.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,112 $3,112

138.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,995 $1,995

53.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$5,871 $5,871

-11.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.57

3.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Rio Rancho, NM: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Rio Rancho, NM

$1.3K 49.1% 3.7% $45

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Rio Rancho, NM

$443 17% 8.1% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Rio Rancho, NM

$287 11% 18.6% $66

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Rio Rancho, NM

$308 11.8% 11.6% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Rio Rancho, NM

$137 5.3% 6.9% $8.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Rio Rancho, NM

$77 2.9% 5.7% $4.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Rio Rancho, NM

$74 2.8% 30.8% $17

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,566 in Rio Rancho, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Rio Rancho, NM pays 13% more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $77 in Rio Rancho, NM. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $443, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Rio Rancho, NM

🕒 Local time

22:09 10:09 PM

21:09 9:09 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

110,660

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Rio Rancho, NM 1,000 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rio Rancho, NM

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 Rio Rancho, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

On paper, salaries run 12% lower in Austin, TX. That’s worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,566 in Rio Rancho, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $1,327 in Rio Rancho, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Rio Rancho, NM – a meal for two runs $77 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Rio Rancho, NM gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.

For families, Rio Rancho, NM is more practical. Housing and childcare are both notably cheaper than in Austin, TX, and the savings on those two alone free up budget for education, activities, and family trips.