Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Santa Tecla

For one person, living is cheaper in Santa Tecla: $1,355 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $15,700 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
66

Cost of Living Index in Santa Tecla
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Santa Tecla Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Santa Tecla

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$1,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,355 in Santa Tecla.

Austin, TX $2,663
Santa Tecla $1,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,006 in Santa Tecla.

Austin, TX $4,133
Santa Tecla $2,006

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,657 in Santa Tecla.

Austin, TX $5,603
Santa Tecla $2,657

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 97% more expensive than in Santa Tecla, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Santa Tecla 0% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.56 $6.56

216.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$44.20 $44.20

91.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.82 $6.82

80.65%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.50 $3.50

60.86%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.15 $1.15

223.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.86 $0.86

190.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.98 $1.98

306.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.63 $3.63

148.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.75 $1.75

-36.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.14 $2.14

75.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.43 $1.43

127.97%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.30 $2.30

81.30%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.52 $7.52

71.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.55 $5.55

155.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.23 $10.23

58.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.27 $3.27

32.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.37 $1.37

6.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.64 $2.64

70.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.54 $3.54

22.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.98 $2.98

-13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.35 $3.35

-29.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.96 $0.96

85.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.98 $0.98

126.53%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.94 $3.94

150.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.06 $12.06

25.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.20 $2.20

32.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.95 $2.95

17.29%

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

$6.16 $6.16

-55.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.06 $3.06

-45.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.27 $20.27

74.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.24 $1.24

-23.39%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$25.4K $25.4K

41.74%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.0K $27.0K

0.35%

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

$229 $229

$132 $132

73.67%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$20.92 $20.92

183.89%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$42.31 $42.31

65.23%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$24.72 $24.72

131.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.03 $5.03

183.90%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$160 $160

839.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,809 $4,809

346.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$67.0 $67.0

-21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.85 $46.85

-6.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$116 $116

-27.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$115 $115

-10.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$765 $765

149.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$548 $548

132.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,200 $1,200

205.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$887 $887

186.27%

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

$406 $406

1161.12%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.5

-20.12%

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 Tecla: 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 Tecla

$548 40.4% 57% $726

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Santa Tecla

$260 19.2% 35.7% $145

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Santa Tecla

$195 14.4% 45.6% $163

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Santa Tecla

$140 10.4% 60.4% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Santa Tecla

$155 11.5% 21.4% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Santa Tecla

$35 2.6% 59.5% $51

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Santa Tecla

$21 * 1.6% 63.4% $37

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $765 in Santa Tecla. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1161% 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 $44.00 in Santa Tecla for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $260 per month, with Santa Tecla cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇻 Santa Tecla

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

22:11 10:11 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

138,695

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Santa Tecla 2,040 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Santa Tecla

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 Tecla: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Santa Tecla wins on cost – living expenses run 97% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Santa Tecla the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1161% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $765 in Santa Tecla. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $160 in Santa Tecla. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Santa Tecla – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,355 in Santa Tecla versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Santa Tecla but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Santa Tecla 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 Tecla 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 Tecla gentler on the wallet – expenses run 97% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.