Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Luis Rio Colorado

For one person, living is cheaper in San Luis Rio Colorado: $1,229 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
59

Cost of Living Index in San Luis Rio Colorado
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San Luis Rio Colorado Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

San Luis Rio Colorado

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,229

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado.

Austin, TX $2,607
San Luis Rio Colorado $1,229

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $1,860 in San Luis Rio Colorado.

Austin, TX $4,031
San Luis Rio Colorado $1,860

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $2,491 in San Luis Rio Colorado.

Austin, TX $5,454
San Luis Rio Colorado $2,491

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 112% more expensive than in San Luis Rio Colorado, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 92% above, San Luis Rio Colorado is 10% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$11.95 MX$223

70.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$33.23 MX$620

154.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.45 MX$176

28.25%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.19 MX$78.2

34.84%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$1.42 MX$26.45

159.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.23 MX$22.94

91.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$3.16 MX$58.9

149.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$6.43 MX$120

37.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.72 MX$32.06

-33.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.93 MX$54.7

25.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$1.76 MX$32.80

88.07%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$3.10 MX$57.7

33.87%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$8.46 MX$158

53.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$7.24 MX$135

91.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$11.50 MX$214

42.09%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$2.87 MX$53.6

63.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.59 MX$29.71

-8.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$1.96 MX$36.57

160.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$1.56 MX$29.13

189.74%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$1.49 MX$27.69

106.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$1.82 MX$33.84

30.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$1.45 MX$27.04

24.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.04 MX$19.42

113.46%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$4.39 MX$81.8

127.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$7.98 MX$149

88.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.21 MX$41.19

31.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.02 MX$75.0

-17.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$0.69 MX$12.79

76.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$32.51 MX$606

24.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.75 MX$51.2

1.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$2.20 MX$41.09

-25.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$10.75 MX$200

229.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.50 MX$27.97

-36.67%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$24.2K MX$451.7K

41.14%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$23.6K MX$440.2K

13.33%

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

$223 $223

$46.01 MX$858

384.68%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$32.95 MX$614

77.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$29.62 MX$552

140.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$32.11 MX$598

65.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$19.37 MX$361

-13.53%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$6.45 MX$120

117.98%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$206 MX$3,832

609.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$4,436 MX$82.7K

381.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$52.5 MX$979

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$45.76 MX$853

-6.58%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$103 MX$1,917

-15.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$69.7 MX$1,299

48.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$572 MX$10.7K

269.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$428 MX$7,976

187.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$893 MX$16.6K

332.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$668 MX$12.5K

260.20%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$2,110 MX$39.3K

251.99%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$1,092 MX$20.3K

180.33%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

12.07

-43.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for San Luis Rio Colorado: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$428 34.8% 65.2% $803

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$263 21.4% 35.8% $147

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$109 8.8% 69.2% $244

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$213 17.4% 38.7% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$122 9.9% 5.1% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$45 3.7% 44.6% $36

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

San Luis Rio Colorado

$49 4% 13.2% $7.4

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $572 in San Luis Rio Colorado. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $33 in San Luis Rio Colorado for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $410 vs $263 per month, with San Luis Rio Colorado cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 San Luis Rio Colorado

🕒 Local time

09:00 9:00 AM

07:00 7:00 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

176,685

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

100 MXN = 5.36 USD

100 MXN = 4.82 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 18.64 MXN (100 MXN = 5.36 USD). 1 EUR = 20.75 MXN (100 MXN = 4.82 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX San Luis Rio Colorado 1,630 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Luis Rio Colorado

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 Rio Colorado: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Luis Rio Colorado wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making San Luis Rio Colorado the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,911 in Austin, TX and $1,843 in San Luis Rio Colorado 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $572 in San Luis Rio Colorado. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,229 in San Luis Rio Colorado – a 112% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Luis Rio Colorado runs roughly 20% 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 $1,000. San Luis Rio Colorado is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 San Luis Rio Colorado gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.