Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Luis Potosi

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Potosi: $1,299 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 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
64

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Potosi
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San Luis Potosi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

San Luis Potosi

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,299

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,299 in San Luis Potosi.

Austin, TX $2,704
San Luis Potosi $1,299

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,028 in San Luis Potosi.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Luis Potosi $2,028

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,757 in San Luis Potosi.

Austin, TX $5,562
San Luis Potosi $2,757

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 108% more expensive than in San Luis Potosi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, San Luis Potosi is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$14.08 MX$259

43.61%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$42.03 MX$772

102.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.63 MX$177

28.25%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.35 MX$61.6

63.28%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.33 MX$24.45

187.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.97 MX$17.78

157.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.67 MX$49.05

201.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.76 MX$87.4

88.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.56 MX$28.67

-27.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.63 MX$48.23

43.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.79 MX$32.88

81.56%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.64 MX$48.53

56.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.63 MX$158

51.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.15 MX$186

40.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.43 MX$210

39.63%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.34 MX$61.4

31.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.65 MX$30.26

-12.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.23 MX$40.94

103.59%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.57 MX$47.25

63.04%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.69 MX$49.31

-2.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.14 MX$57.7

-24.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.10 MX$20.23

60.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.30 MX$23.80

66.15%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.03 MX$74.0

143.42%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$14.00 MX$257

5.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.15 MX$39.50

29.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.89 MX$71.4

-10.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.85 MX$15.54

75.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$71.5 MX$1,313

-43.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.81 MX$14.88

229.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.68 MX$30.86

-5.95%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$9.80 MX$180

260.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.47 MX$26.98

-32.65%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.2K MX$388.7K

69.13%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.1K MX$442.1K

12.85%

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

$219 $219

$41.85 MX$768

423.94%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$16.14 MX$296

259.29%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$31.49 MX$578

117.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$31.00 MX$569

86.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$27.81 MX$511

-46.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.84 MX$107

141.95%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$263 MX$4,821

474.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,591 MX$65.9K

497.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$54.6 MX$1,002

-5.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$39.28 MX$721

12.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$102 MX$1,876

-16.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$78.6 MX$1,444

33.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$665 MX$12.2K

190.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$466 MX$8,547

173.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,184 MX$21.7K

209.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$774 MX$14.2K

226.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,399 MX$25.7K

444.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$884 MX$16.2K

261.80%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$872 MX$16.0K

485.32%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

12.68

-46.45%

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 Luis Potosi: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

San Luis Potosi

$465 35.3% 63.4% $807

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

San Luis Potosi

$300 22.7% 25.6% $103

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

San Luis Potosi

$214 16.2% 38.5% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

San Luis Potosi

$89 6.8% 74.1% $256

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

San Luis Potosi

$124 9.4% 4% $5.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

San Luis Potosi

$43 3.2% 50.5% $43

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

San Luis Potosi

$84 6.4% 47.6% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $665 in San Luis Potosi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 485% 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 $42.00 in San Luis Potosi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $300 per month, with San Luis Potosi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 San Luis Potosi

🕒 Local time

07:04 7:04 AM

06:04 6:04 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

845,941

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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 = 20.57 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX San Luis Potosi 960 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Luis Potosi

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 Luis Potosi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis Potosi wins on cost – living expenses run 108% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Luis Potosi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 485% 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 $665 in San Luis Potosi. 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 $1,299 in San Luis Potosi – a 108% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Luis Potosi runs roughly 77% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,299 in San Luis Potosi versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Luis Potosi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Luis Potosi 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and San Luis Potosi are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find San Luis Potosi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 108% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.