Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Marcos, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Marcos, TX: $2,361 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
115

Cost of Living Index in San Marcos, TX
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San Marcos, TX Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

San Marcos, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,361 in San Marcos, TX.

Austin, TX $2,663
San Marcos, TX $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,510 in San Marcos, TX.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Marcos, TX $3,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,658 in San Marcos, TX.

Austin, TX $5,603
San Marcos, TX $4,658

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in San Marcos, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, San Marcos, TX 75% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.98 $14.98

38.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.5 $60.5

39.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.80 $11.80

4.41%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.72 $4.72

19.28%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.90 $2.90

28.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.73 $1.73

44.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.12 $5.12

57.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.11 $6.11

47.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.76 $0.76

47.37%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.20 $3.20

17.19%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.74 $3.74

-12.83%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.77 $2.77

50.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.06 $10.06

28.23%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.81 $9.81

44.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.95 $12.95

25.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$6.21 $6.21

-30.27%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.13 $1.13

29.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$6.58 $6.58

-31.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.83 $4.83

-10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.99 $3.99

-35.34%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.92 $2.92

-19.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.83 $1.83

-2.73%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.80 $1.80

23.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$8.49 $8.49

16.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.93 $13.93

8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.77 $1.77

64.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.94 $3.94

-12.18%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.57 $4.57

-40.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.82 $1.82

-8.79%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$59.5 $59.5

-40.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.81 $0.81

17.28%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

0.01%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.0K $25.0K

8.20%

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

$229 $229

$134 $134

70.86%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$40.38 $40.38

47.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.8 $55.8

25.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$68.9 $68.9

-16.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.32 $11.32

26.15%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$665 $665

126.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$17.7K $17.7K

21.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.4 $59.4

-11.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.15 $38.15

14.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$83.0 $83.0

2.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$123 $123

-15.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,350 $1,350

41.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,258 $1,258

1.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,855 $2,855

28.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,205 $2,205

15.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,463 $2,463

209.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,874 $1,874

68.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,143 $3,143

62.94%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.45

5.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for San Marcos, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

San Marcos, TX

$1.3K 53.3% 1.3% $17

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

San Marcos, TX

$363 15.4% 10.2% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

San Marcos, TX

$230 9.8% 35.7% $128

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

San Marcos, TX

$268 11.4% 24.2% $86

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

San Marcos, TX

$136 5.8% 6.6% $8.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

San Marcos, TX

$92 3.9% 6.7% $5.8

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

San Marcos, TX

$14 * 0.6% 76.7% $45

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 63% 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 $60.0 in San Marcos, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $363 per month, with San Marcos, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 San Marcos, TX

🕒 Local time

14:00 2:00 PM

Same time as Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

44,894

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Marcos, TX 47 km

From you

Austin, TX
San Marcos, TX

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 Marcos, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Marcos, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Marcos, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 63% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,350 in San Marcos, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $665 in San Marcos, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in San Marcos, TX – a meal for two runs $60.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,361 in San Marcos, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Marcos, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Marcos, TX the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Marcos, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,361 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Marcos, TX hard to pass up.

Expats usually find San Marcos, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.