Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Juan

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $2,197 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
108

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

San Juan

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$2,197

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in San Juan

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,197 in San Juan.

Austin, TX $2,704
San Juan $2,197

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,317 in San Juan.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Juan $3,317

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,436 in San Juan.

Austin, TX $5,562
San Juan $4,436

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in San Juan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, San Juan 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$18.95 $18.95

6.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$81.6 $81.6

4.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.01 $9.01

37.07%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.63 $3.63

50.69%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.92 $1.92

98.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.44 $1.44

73.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.96 $2.96

172.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.12 $5.12

75.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.16 $2.16

-47.69%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.64 $3.64

3.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.40 $2.40

35.42%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$7.30 $7.30

-43.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$12.48 $12.48

4.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.91 $9.91

44.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.15 $13.15

21.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$5.01 $5.01

-12.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.57 $2.57

-43.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$4.83 $4.83

-6.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.68 $4.68

-10.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.69 $3.69

-28.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.89 $3.89

-39.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$3.35 $3.35

-47.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.65 $1.65

30.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$11.90 $11.90

-17.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.42 $15.42

-4.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.98 $2.98

-6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.91 $3.91

-11.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.78 $0.78

91.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$29.65 $29.65

36.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.53 $2.53

5.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.53 $1.53

3.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$41.18 $41.18

-14.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.23 $1.23

-19.51%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$39.7K $39.7K

-9.89%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$28.0K $28.0K

-3.11%

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

$219 $219

$323 $323

-32.14%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$70.0 $70.0

-17.11%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$70.1 $70.1

-2.47%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$41.55 $41.55

39.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$7.78 $7.78

90.49%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.57 $10.57

33.68%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$814 $814

85.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.4K $12.4K

73.31%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$55.5 $55.5

-6.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$61.6 $61.6

-28.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$107 $107

-20.36%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$113 $113

-6.83%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,791 $1,791

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$847 $847

50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,872 $2,872

27.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,496 $1,496

68.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$7,513 $7,513

1.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,351 $3,351

-4.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,674 $2,674

90.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for San Juan: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

San Juan

$847 37.8% 33.4% $425

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

San Juan

$412 18.4% 2.3% $9.2

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

San Juan

$261 11.6% 25.1% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

San Juan

$463 20.7% 34% $118

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

San Juan

$152 6.8% 17.8% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

San Juan

$63 2.8% 27.2% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

San Juan

$43 1.9% 24.6% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,791 in San Juan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 91% 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 $82.0 in San Juan. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $412, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇷 San Juan

🕒 Local time

07:18 7:18 AM

08:18 8:18 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

322,854 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Juan 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Juan

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 San Juan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Juan wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Juan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 91% 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 $1,791 in San Juan. 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 $2,197 in San Juan – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Juan runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. San Juan is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Juan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,197 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Juan hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.