Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Cruz, Jamaica

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Cruz: $1,291 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
62

Cost of Living Index in Santa Cruz
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Santa Cruz Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Santa Cruz

🇯🇲 Jamaica

$1,291

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $1,291 in Santa Cruz.

Austin, TX $2,689
Santa Cruz $1,291

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,999 in Santa Cruz.

Austin, TX $4,112
Santa Cruz $1,999

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $2,708 in Santa Cruz.

Austin, TX $5,534
Santa Cruz $2,708

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Santa Cruz is 5% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$7.40 JMD 1,167

188.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$63.3 JMD 9,993

38.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$6.75 JMD 1,065

84.30%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$5.47 JMD 863

2.38%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$1.14 JMD 181

220.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$0.72 JMD 114

231.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$2.13 JMD 337

267.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$3.20 JMD 505

173.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$4.25 JMD 671

-73.65%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$2.62 JMD 413

38.17%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$1.59 JMD 250

120.13%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$3.64 JMD 575

22.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.44 JMD 1,805

15.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$6.11 JMD 964

128.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$10.32 JMD 1,628

59.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$5.90 JMD 930

-19.83%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$3.87 JMD 610

-61.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$7.54 JMD 1,190

-38.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$2.97 JMD 469

52.19%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.31 JMD 522

-22.96%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.61 JMD 412

-8.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$3.03 JMD 478

-39.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.43 JMD 225

48.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$9.16 JMD 1,445

9.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$11.30 JMD 1,783

31.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.82 JMD 444

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$4.08 JMD 643

-19.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.42 JMD 382

10.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$3.19 JMD 503

-48.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$6.45 JMD 1,018

445.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.47 JMD 232

-33.33%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$44.0K JMD 6.9M

-21.94%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$32.2K JMD 5.1M

-16.79%

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

$252 $252

$167 JMD 26.3K

51.47%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$29.71 JMD 4,688

101.41%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$52.1 JMD 8,226

33.61%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$37.49 JMD 5,916

61.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$13.45 JMD 2,123

2.23%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$364 JMD 57.5K

300.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$17.7K JMD 2.8M

50.41%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$23.31 JMD 3,678

125.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$31.30 JMD 4,938

46.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$76.2 JMD 12.0K

12.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$104 JMD 16.4K

1.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$312 JMD 49.2K

306.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$508 JMD 80.2K

373.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$408 JMD 64.3K

1137.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

9.45

-27.83%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Santa Cruz: November 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Santa Cruz

$312 24.2% 75.4% $957

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Santa Cruz

$372 28.9% 8.6% $35

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Santa Cruz

$248 19.2% 34.9% $133

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Santa Cruz

$170 13.1% 52.4% $186

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Santa Cruz

$106 8.2% 18.9% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Santa Cruz

$64 5% 26.7% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Santa Cruz

$18 * 1.4% 67.9% $39

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays about 12 times more on average. How far that income stretches comes down to housing choices and lifestyle.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $63 in Santa Cruz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $372 per month, with Santa Cruz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇯🇲 Santa Cruz

🕒 Local time

09:39 9:39 AM

10:39 10:39 AM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,217

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Jamaican Dollar JMD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD

1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

JMD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇯🇲 Jamaican Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Jamaican Dollar exchange rates as of November 6, 2026: 1 USD = 158 JMD (1,000 JMD = 6.34 USD). 1 EUR = 177 JMD (1,000 JMD = 5.64 EUR).

JMD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Cruz 2,440 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Cruz

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 Santa Cruz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Cruz wins on cost – living expenses run 52% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Santa Cruz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay in Austin, TX is about 12 times higher, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $364 in Santa Cruz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Cruz – a meal for two runs $63 versus $88 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,291 in Santa Cruz versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Santa Cruz but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Cruz 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.

It comes down to priorities – Santa Cruz wins on affordability, Austin, TX on earning potential. Factor in climate, language, visa rules, and proximity to places that matter to you before deciding.