Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Silver City, NM

For one person, living is cheaper in Silver City, NM: $2,550 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Silver City, NM
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Silver City, NM Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Silver City, NM

🇺🇸 United States

$2,550

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Silver City, 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 Silver City, NM actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,550 in Silver City, NM.

Austin, TX $2,698
Silver City, NM $2,550

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,732 in Silver City, NM.

Austin, TX $4,160
Silver City, NM $3,732

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,915 in Silver City, NM.

Austin, TX $5,622
Silver City, NM $4,915

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Silver City, NM, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Silver City, NM 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$19.28 $19.28

7.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$80.2 $80.2

5.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$12.98 $12.98

-7.01%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$5.22 $5.22

4.98%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.70 $2.70

40.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.42 $1.42

73.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.20 $7.20

11.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$6.80 $6.80

30.59%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$0.80 $0.80

38.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.36 $3.36

10.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.56 $2.56

31.64%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.79 $4.79

-9.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.57 $13.57

-3.24%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.89 $10.89

29.94%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.97 $16.97

-3.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$4.45 $4.45

2.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.71 $1.71

-14.62%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.93 $3.93

19.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.09 $4.09

1.47%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.54 $2.54

1.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.48 $2.48

-5.24%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.16 $2.16

-18.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.51 $1.51

41.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$11.07 $11.07

-8.76%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.25 $13.25

14.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.55 $2.55

10.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.69 $3.69

-6.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.30 $2.30

-33.04%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.77 $2.77

1.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.41 $1.41

13.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$35.48 $35.48

-3.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.92 $0.92

2.17%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$36.1K $36.1K

-5.75%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.1K $22.1K

21.08%

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

$223 $223

$201 $201

10.85%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$62.0 $62.0

-5.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$74.4 $74.4

-5.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$40.48 $40.48

42.54%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$12.95 $12.95

10.12%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$1,082 $1,082

39.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$15.4K $15.4K

35.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$54.6 $54.6

-6.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$44.50 $44.50

-0.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$97.1 $97.1

-10.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$112 $112

-7.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,075 $1,075

80.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,294 $1,294

1.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,976 $1,976

85.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$2,127 $2,127

20.63%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,917 $1,917

283.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,946 $1,946

60.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$2,949 $2,949

79.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.44

5.43%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Silver City, NM: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Silver City, NM

$1.3K 50.8% 1.7% $22

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Silver City, NM

$372 14.6% 8.4% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Silver City, NM

$337 13.2% 4.2% $15

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Silver City, NM

$322 12.6% 8.1% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Silver City, NM

$139 5.5% 7.6% $9.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Silver City, NM

$66 2.6% 23% $20

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Silver City, NM

$19 * 0.8% 67.2% $39

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 $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,075 in Silver City, NM. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 79% 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 $80.0 in Silver City, NM for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $372 per month, with Silver City, NM cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Silver City, NM

🕒 Local time

23:57 11:57 PM

22:57 10:57 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

9,700

💱 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 Silver City, NM 1,040 km ≈ 1 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Silver City, 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 Silver City, NM: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

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

Average pay runs 79% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,075 in Silver City, NM. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $1,082 in Silver City, NM. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Silver City, NM – a meal for two runs $80.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,550 in Silver City, NM versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Silver City, NM but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Silver City, NM 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.

Expats usually find Silver City, NM gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.