Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Salento

For one person, living is cheaper in Salento: $797 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Salento
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Salento Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Salento

🇨🇴 Colombia

$797

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $797 in Salento.

Austin, TX $2,689
Salento $797

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,212 in Salento.

Austin, TX $4,112
Salento $1,212

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $1,627 in Salento.

Austin, TX $5,534
Salento $1,627

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 237% more expensive than in Salento, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Salento is 41% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$3.85 COP 12.4K

454.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$23.41 COP 75.6K

275.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$7.45 COP 24.1K

66.98%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$1.56 COP 5,051

258.97%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$0.93 COP 3,000

292.47%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.57 COP 1,847

319.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$1.14 COP 3,682

585.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$2.14 COP 6,923

308.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 COP 3,584

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$1.30 COP 4,214

178.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.14 COP 3,692

207.02%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$2.14 COP 6,918

107.94%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$4.56 COP 14.7K

189.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$5.43 COP 17.5K

156.72%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$7.42 COP 24.0K

121.83%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$2.46 COP 7,960

92.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.09 COP 3,519

37.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$1.30 COP 4,211

256.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.11 COP 3,573

307.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$1.15 COP 3,716

121.74%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.13 COP 3,666

111.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$0.87 COP 2,818

111.49%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$0.65 COP 2,087

227.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$2.35 COP 7,590

327.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$9.34 COP 30.2K

59.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.08 COP 3,497

161.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$1.74 COP 5,607

89.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.69 COP 2,224

78.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$29.71 COP 96.0K

39.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$1.48 COP 4,783

81.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.70 COP 5,494

-4.12%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$6.08 COP 19.6K

478.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$0.96 COP 3,086

2.08%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$17.7K COP 57.3M

93.84%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.0K COP 80.9M

7.06%

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

$252 $252

$83.6 COP 269.9K

201.85%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$8.89 COP 28.7K

573.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$22.56 COP 72.9K

208.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$23.36 COP 75.5K

158.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$4.04 COP 13.1K

240.35%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$242 COP 782.8K

501.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$5,913 COP 19.1M

349.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$57.8 COP 186.7K

-8.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$32.60 COP 105.3K

40.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$84.6 COP 273.1K

1.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$73.7 COP 238.1K

43.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$274 COP 885.0K

701.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$234 COP 755.2K

442.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$525 COP 1.7M

662.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$418 COP 1.3M

476.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$1,417 COP 4.6M

421.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$1,069 COP 3.5M

177.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

13.06

-47.78%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Salento: October 31, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Salento

$234 29.3% 81.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Salento

$175 21.9% 57.2% $233

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Salento

$115 14.4% 69.9% $267

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Salento

$88 11% 75.3% $268

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Salento

$112 14% 14.1% $18

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Salento

$31 4% 64.2% $56

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Salento

$42 5.3% 25.7% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $274 in Salento. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $23 in Salento for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $175 per month, with Salento cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇴 Salento

🕒 Local time

00:17 12:17 AM

01:17 1:17 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,748

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Colombian Peso COP $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.891 EUR

10,000 COP = 3.1 USD

10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

COP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇴 Colombian Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.891 EUR).

Colombian Peso exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 3,230 COP (10,000 COP = 3.1 USD). 1 EUR = 3,626 COP (10,000 COP = 2.76 EUR).

COP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Salento 3,680 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Salento

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 Salento: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Salento wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Salento the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $4,034 in Austin, TX and $1,196 in Salento 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 $274 in Salento. 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 $797 in Salento – Salento is about 70% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Salento runs roughly 28% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $797 in Salento versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Salento but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Salento 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 Salento gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.