Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Isabel

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Isabel: $1,300 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
63

Cost of Living Index in Santa Isabel
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Santa Isabel Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Isabel

🇵🇷 Puerto Rico

$1,300

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,300 in Santa Isabel.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Isabel $1,300

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,047 in Santa Isabel.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Isabel $2,047

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,793 in Santa Isabel.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Isabel $2,793

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 105% more expensive than in Santa Isabel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Santa Isabel is 4% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$18.81 $18.81

10.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$83.3 $83.3

1.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.95 $8.95

37.65%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.55 $3.55

58.59%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.91 $1.91

94.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.50 $1.50

66.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.96 $2.96

171.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.09 $5.09

77.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.31 $1.31

-14.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.40 $3.40

10.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.31 $2.31

41.13%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$6.33 $6.33

-34.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.63 $12.63

2.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.52 $9.52

48.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.13 $13.13

23.53%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.95 $4.95

-12.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.62 $2.62

-44.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$4.83 $4.83

-6.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.95 $4.95

-12.32%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.73 $3.73

-30.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$4.05 $4.05

-41.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.54 $3.54

-49.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.66 $1.66

33.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.99 $11.99

-17.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.63 $15.63

-3.52%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.98 $2.98

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.98 $3.98

-13.07%

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

$2.44 $2.44

11.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.66 $0.66

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$40.77 $40.77

-13.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.05 $1.05

-9.52%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$39.5K $39.5K

-8.67%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.2K $28.2K

-4.00%

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

$229 $229

$326 $326

-29.80%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$68.8 $68.8

-13.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$69.0 $69.0

1.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.32 $10.32

38.37%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$830 $830

81.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.6K $12.6K

70.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$56.0 $56.0

-5.73%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$61.4 $61.4

-28.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$109 $109

-22.42%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$113 $113

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.55

3.66%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Santa Isabel: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Santa Isabel

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Isabel

$399 30.7% 1.5% $6

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Isabel

$464 35.7% 29.5% $106

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Isabel

$259 19.9% 26.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Isabel

$153 11.8% 19.5% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Isabel

$21 * 1.6% 76% $65

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Isabel

$5.8 * 0.4% 90.2% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $83.0 in Santa Isabel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $399 per month, with Santa Isabel cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇷 Santa Isabel

🕒 Local time

16:41 4:41 PM

17:41 5:41 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

23,000

💱 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 Santa Isabel 3,450 km ≈ 4 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Isabel

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 Isabel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Isabel wins on cost – living expenses run 105% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Isabel the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,951 in Santa Isabel 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $830 in Santa Isabel. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Isabel – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,300 in Santa Isabel versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Isabel but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Isabel 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Santa Isabel 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 Santa Isabel gentler on the wallet – expenses run 105% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.