Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas: $745 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas
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Santa Lucía Milpas Altas Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

🇬🇹 Guatemala

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

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 Lucía Milpas Altas actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $745 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $745

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,244 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $1,244

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,742 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas $1,742

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 257% more expensive than in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Santa Lucía Milpas Altas is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.87 Q 52.6

202.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$49.85 Q 381

69.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.01 Q 61.3

53.81%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.42 Q 26.11

64.62%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.11 Q 8.45

235.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.96 Q 7.38

160.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.23 Q 24.68

149.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.63 Q 35.41

94.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.01 Q 15.40

-44.28%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.09 Q 23.61

21.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.01 Q 15.39

62.19%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.58 Q 19.72

61.63%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.49 Q 49.62

98.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.20 Q 70.3

53.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.01 Q 99.5

24.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.98 Q 30.40

8.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.72 Q 13.13

-15.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.78 Q 21.23

62.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.65 Q 12.63

163.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.47 Q 11.23

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.18 Q 16.69

7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.73 Q 5.59

143.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.16 Q 8.84

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.10 Q 31.31

140.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.29 Q 63.4

81.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.81 Q 13.84

61.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.68 Q 20.48

29.10%

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

$5.19 Q 39.68

-47.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$10.41 Q 79.6

239.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.34 Q 10.27

-29.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.9K Q 206.0K

33.80%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$25.2K Q 192.4K

7.56%

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

$229 $229

$72.3 Q 553

216.63%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$28.68 Q 219

107.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$45.93 Q 351

52.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.30 Q 48.15

126.67%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$344 Q 2,631

337.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,648 Q 50.8K

222.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$50.3 Q 385

4.91%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.72 Q 357

-6.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$118 Q 900

-27.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$112 Q 857

-8.07%

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

11.62

-41.57%

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 Lucía Milpas Altas: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$280 37.6% 30.8% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$147 19.7% 59% $211

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$154 20.6% 56.6% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$147 19.7% 14.9% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$13 * 1.7% 85.3% $73

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

$5.2 * 0.7% 91.2% $54

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 $50.0 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $280 per month, with Santa Lucía Milpas Altas cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇹 Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

03:58 3:58 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

12,234

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Guatemalan Quetzal GTQ Q

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 GTQ = 0.131 USD

1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

GTQ, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇬🇹 Guatemalan Quetzal (Q)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Guatemalan Quetzal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 7.65 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.131 USD). 1 EUR = 8.6 GTQ (1 GTQ = 0.116 EUR).

GTQ to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 1,890 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Lucía Milpas Altas

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 Lucía Milpas Altas: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Lucía Milpas Altas wins on cost – living expenses run 257% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Lucía Milpas Altas the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,118 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 $344 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas – a meal for two runs $50.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $745 in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Santa Lucía Milpas Altas but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Lucía Milpas Altas 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 Lucía Milpas Altas gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.