Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Fe, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $2,850 in Santa Fe, NM, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Santa Fe, NM outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Santa Fe, NM
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Santa Fe, NM Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Santa Fe, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,850

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Fe, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $2,850 in Santa Fe, NM.

Austin, TX $2,689
Santa Fe, NM $2,850

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $3,895 in Santa Fe, NM.

Austin, TX $4,112
Santa Fe, NM $3,895

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $4,940 in Santa Fe, NM.

Austin, TX $5,534
Santa Fe, NM $4,940

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 6% less than in Santa Fe, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Santa Fe, NM 111% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$16.85 $16.85

26.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$60.5 $60.5

45.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$9.87 $9.87

26.04%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$4.93 $4.93

13.59%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$2.91 $2.91

25.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.32 $2.32

3.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$6.05 $6.05

29.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$6.90 $6.90

26.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.92 $0.92

21.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$3.19 $3.19

13.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.40 $4.40

-20.45%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$4.28 $4.28

3.97%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$11.76 $11.76

12.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$9.41 $9.41

48.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$16.97 $16.97

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$4.90 $4.90

-3.47%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$1.48 $1.48

1.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.90 $3.90

18.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.41 $4.41

2.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.23 $3.23

-21.05%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.03 $2.03

17.73%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.05 $2.05

-10.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.47 $2.47

-13.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$10.82 $10.82

-7.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$16.21 $16.21

-8.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.05 $2.05

37.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$3.57 $3.57

-7.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$0.97 $0.97

26.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$20.07 $20.07

106.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$3.49 $3.49

-23.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$2.22 $2.22

-26.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$34.87 $34.87

0.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.08 $1.08

-9.26%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$26.8K $26.8K

28.07%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.3K $25.3K

5.79%

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

$252 $252

$160 $160

58.08%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$44.85 $44.85

33.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$68.9 $68.9

1.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$68.0 $68.0

-11.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$13.05 $13.05

5.36%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,353 $1,353

7.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$22.7K $22.7K

17.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$54.0 $54.0

-2.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$44.19 $44.19

3.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$79.0 $79.0

8.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$116 $116

-8.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,184 $2,184

0.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$1,642 $1,642

-22.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$2,929 $2,929

36.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,314 $2,314

3.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$6,131 $6,131

20.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$3,761 $3,761

-21.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$3,862 $3,862

30.56%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.64

2.71%

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 Fe, NM: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Santa Fe, NM

$1.6K 57.6% 29.4% $373

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Santa Fe, NM

$381 13.4% 6.4% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Santa Fe, NM

$273 9.6% 28.4% $108

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Santa Fe, NM

$289 10.1% 19% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Santa Fe, NM

$132 4.6% 1.2% $1.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Santa Fe, NM

$94 3.3% 7.1% $6.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Santa Fe, NM

$39 1.4% 32.6% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $2,184 in Santa Fe, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 31% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $60 in Santa Fe, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $381 per month, with Santa Fe, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Santa Fe, NM

🕒 Local time

14:13 2:13 PM

13:13 1:13 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

87,505

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Fe, NM 970 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Fe, NM

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 Fe, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Santa Fe, NM. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 31% 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $2,184 in Santa Fe, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,689 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,850 in Santa Fe, NM – Austin, TX is about 6% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Santa Fe, NM runs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.