Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and San Miguel de Allende

For one person, living is cheaper in San Miguel de Allende: $1,641 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $12,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
79

Cost of Living Index in San Miguel de Allende
Learn more

San Miguel de Allende Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

San Miguel de Allende

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,641

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in San Miguel de Allende

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 Miguel de Allende actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,641 in San Miguel de Allende.

Austin, TX $2,704
San Miguel de Allende $1,641

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,591 in San Miguel de Allende.

Austin, TX $4,133
San Miguel de Allende $2,591

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,541 in San Miguel de Allende.

Austin, TX $5,562
San Miguel de Allende $3,541

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 65% more expensive than in San Miguel de Allende, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, San Miguel de Allende 22% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$15.45 MX$284

30.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$42.79 MX$786

98.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.55 MX$194

17.06%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.83 MX$70.3

42.82%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.68 MX$30.81

127.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.07 MX$19.65

133.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.71 MX$68.1

117.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.99 MX$110

50.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.50 MX$27.59

-24.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.32 MX$60.9

13.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.79 MX$32.86

81.56%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.94 MX$53.9

40.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.38 MX$154

56.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$12.46 MX$229

14.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$18.77 MX$345

-14.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.99 MX$73.2

9.77%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.67 MX$30.67

-13.17%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.87 MX$52.8

58.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.86 MX$52.6

46.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.56 MX$47.06

2.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$3.15 MX$57.8

-25.08%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.15 MX$21.18

53.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.31 MX$24.05

64.89%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.32 MX$79.2

127.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$16.72 MX$307

-11.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.45 MX$44.97

13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$3.95 MX$72.5

-11.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.57 MX$10.47

161.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$6.61 MX$121

512.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.42 MX$81.1

-39.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.51 MX$82.7

-64.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$11.13 MX$204

217.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.49 MX$27.31

-33.56%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.3K MX$390.3K

68.40%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.6K MX$451.4K

10.53%

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

$219 $219

$41.27 MX$758

431.31%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$16.18 MX$297

258.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$41.42 MX$761

65.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$37.16 MX$682

55.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$42.82 MX$786

-65.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.55 MX$120

115.73%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$361 MX$6,631

317.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,936 MX$90.6K

334.68%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$65.4 MX$1,201

-21.03%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$61.9 MX$1,136

-28.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$115 MX$2,106

-25.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$150 MX$2,755

-29.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,097 MX$20.1K

76.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$663 MX$12.2K

91.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,393 MX$43.9K

53.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,375 MX$25.2K

83.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,740 MX$50.3K

177.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,636 MX$30.0K

95.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$627 MX$11.5K

714.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

12.05

-43.65%

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 Miguel de Allende: 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 Miguel de Allende

$663 40.9% 47.9% $609

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

San Miguel de Allende

$355 21.9% 12% $48

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

San Miguel de Allende

$243 15% 30.3% $105

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

San Miguel de Allende

$99 6.1% 71.4% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

San Miguel de Allende

$176 10.9% 37% $48

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

San Miguel de Allende

$50 3.1% 41.7% $36

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

San Miguel de Allende

$36 2.2% 37.2% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,097 in San Miguel de Allende. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 715% 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 $43.00 in San Miguel de Allende for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $355 per month, with San Miguel de Allende cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 San Miguel de Allende

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

01:50 1:50 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

72,452

💱 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 = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX San Miguel de Allende 1,080 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
San Miguel de Allende

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 Miguel de Allende: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

San Miguel de Allende wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Miguel de Allende the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 715% 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 $1,097 in San Miguel de Allende. 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 $1,641 in San Miguel de Allende – a 65% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in San Miguel de Allende runs roughly 513% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,641 in San Miguel de Allende versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in San Miguel de Allende but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Miguel de Allende the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but San Miguel de Allende delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,641 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes San Miguel de Allende hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and San Miguel de Allende 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 Miguel de Allende gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.