Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Saltillo

For one person, living is cheaper in Saltillo: $1,331 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Saltillo
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,331
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,331 in Saltillo.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Saltillo $1,331

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,128 in Saltillo.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Saltillo $2,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,924 in Saltillo.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Saltillo $2,924

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 103% more expensive than in Saltillo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Saltillo is 1% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$11.07 MX$203
82.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$50.2 MX$922
69.32%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$6.67 MX$123
85.16%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$3.61 MX$66.3
51.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$1.32 MX$24.32
189.39%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.03 MX$18.92
142.72%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$2.22 MX$40.84
263.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$3.94 MX$72.3
128.17%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.52 MX$27.84
-25.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$3.59 MX$65.9
5.29%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.90 MX$34.95
71.05%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$2.37 MX$43.43
74.68%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$10.86 MX$199
20.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$8.43 MX$155
69.75%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$10.17 MX$187
56.93%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.80 MX$51.4
56.43%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.23 MX$22.57
17.89%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$1.76 MX$32.32
157.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.07 MX$37.93
102.42%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$2.15 MX$39.48
22.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$2.60 MX$47.77
-9.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.25 MX$22.96
40.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.13 MX$20.70
91.15%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$4.30 MX$79.0
128.14%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$10.30 MX$189
42.91%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$2.39 MX$43.84
16.32%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.46 MX$26.84
138.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.87 MX$15.89
71.26%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$16.66 MX$306
143.16%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$2.61 MX$47.87
2.30%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$2.02 MX$37.12
-21.78%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.51 MX$27.70
-34.44%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$19.0K MX$349.3K
88.17%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$24.0K MX$440.6K
13.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$49.27 MX$905
345.04%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$34.53 MX$634
67.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$30.93 MX$568
121.02%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$57.5 MX$1,056
0.66%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$14.01 MX$257
5.78%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$5.91 MX$108
139.09%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$248 MX$4,551
508.83%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$2,653 MX$48.7K
708.81%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$58.3 MX$1,069
-11.31%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$58.2 MX$1,068
-24.25%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$87.9 MX$1,613
-3.15%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$128 MX$2,343
-17.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$579 MX$10.6K
233.53%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$509 MX$9,339
150.15%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$952 MX$17.5K
285.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$959 MX$17.6K
163.22%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$558 MX$10.3K
1264.34%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$883 MX$16.2K
262.17%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Saltillo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$813 MX$14.9K
527.70%
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 5, 2026

Last update for Saltillo: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Saltillo
$509 60% $764
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Saltillo
$278 31% $125
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Saltillo
$180 48.2% $168
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Saltillo
$115 66.8% $231
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Saltillo
$149 16% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Saltillo
$69 19.5% $17
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Saltillo
$33 42.4% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $579 in Saltillo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 528% 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 $50.0 in Saltillo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $278 per month, with Saltillo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇲🇽 Saltillo
🕒 Local time
01:34 1:34 AM
00:34 12:34 AM
1 h behind Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
864,431
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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 = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Saltillo 630 km ≈ 1 h 15 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Saltillo

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 Saltillo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Saltillo?
Saltillo wins on cost – living expenses run 103% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Saltillo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Saltillo?
Average pay runs 528% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Saltillo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $579 in Saltillo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Saltillo?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,331 in Saltillo – a 103% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Saltillo?
A monthly transit pass in Saltillo runs roughly 143% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,000/month in Austin, TX or in Saltillo?
At $1,331 in Saltillo versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Saltillo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Saltillo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Saltillo?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Saltillo?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Saltillo are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Saltillo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 103% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?