Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Salto

For one person, living is cheaper in Salto: $1,332 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
Salto
🇺🇾 Uruguay
$1,332
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,332 in Salto.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Salto $1,332

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,921 in Salto.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Salto $1,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,510 in Salto.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Salto $2,510

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$15.98 UYU 642
26.53%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$37.19 UYU 1,493
128.64%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$11.86 UYU 476
4.13%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$3.26 UYU 131
67.79%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.21 UYU 88.9
72.85%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.57 UYU 63.0
59.24%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$4.57 UYU 183
76.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$3.08 UYU 124
191.88%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.40 UYU 56.1
-19.29%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$2.12 UYU 85.0
78.30%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.50 UYU 60.2
116.67%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$5.34 UYU 215
-22.47%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$15.05 UYU 604
-13.09%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$8.73 UYU 350
63.92%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$9.86 UYU 396
61.87%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.27 UYU 50.9
244.88%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$2.16 UYU 86.6
-32.87%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$1.24 UYU 49.86
266.13%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.86 UYU 74.7
125.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.90 UYU 35.99
192.22%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.66 UYU 66.7
42.17%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$0.89 UYU 35.73
97.75%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.53 UYU 61.3
41.18%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$5.29 UYU 213
85.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$7.55 UYU 303
94.97%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.91 UYU 76.8
45.55%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$2.61 UYU 105
33.33%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.60 UYU 23.95
148.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$29.75 UYU 1,194
36.17%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
-
-
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$3.61 UYU 145
-56.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
-
-
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.95 UYU 78.2
-49.23%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
-
-
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
-
-
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$200 UYU 8,020
9.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$21.70 UYU 871
167.24%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$29.62 UYU 1,189
130.79%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$36.74 UYU 1,475
57.59%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$12.46 UYU 500
18.94%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$9.93 UYU 399
42.30%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
-
-
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$4,463 UYU 179.2K
380.82%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$85.5 UYU 3,432
-39.56%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$55.9 UYU 2,244
-21.18%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$114 UYU 4,569
-25.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$67.1 UYU 2,693
56.99%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$438 UYU 17.6K
341.42%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$300 UYU 12.1K
323.79%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$749 UYU 30.1K
389.71%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$417 UYU 16.7K
505.67%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Salto
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$628 UYU 25.2K
712.88%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
0
-

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Salto: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Salto
$300 76.4% $972
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Salto
$272 32.4% $131
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Salto
$247 29.1% $101
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Salto
$251 27.4% $95
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Salto
$145 12.6% $16
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Salto
$57 34.3% $30
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Salto
$50 * 12% $6.8

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $438 in Salto. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 713% 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 $37.00 in Salto for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $272 per month, with Salto cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇺🇾 Salto
🕒 Local time
03:37 3:37 AM
05:37 5:37 AM
2 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
104,028
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

UYU, 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).

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 40.15 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.03 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Salto 8,040 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Salto

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 Salto: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Salto?
Salto 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 Salto the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Salto?
Average pay runs 713% 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 Salto?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $438 in Salto. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Salto?
Dining out is cheaper in Salto – a meal for two runs $37.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Salto?
A monthly transit pass in Salto runs roughly 36% 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 $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Salto?
At $1,332 in Salto versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Salto but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Salto the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Salto?
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 Salto?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Salto 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 Salto 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

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