Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tampico

For one person, living is cheaper in Tampico: $1,347 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
65

Cost of Living Index in Tampico
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Tampico Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Tampico

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,347

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Tampico

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,347 in Tampico.

Austin, TX $2,704
Tampico $1,347

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,120 in Tampico.

Austin, TX $4,133
Tampico $2,120

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,894 in Tampico.

Austin, TX $5,562
Tampico $2,894

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 101% more expensive than in Tampico, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Tampico 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$8.12 MX$149

149.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$55.1 MX$1,012

54.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.60 MX$176

28.65%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.11 MX$57.0

75.88%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.22 MX$22.33

213.11%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.80 MX$14.64

212.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.48 MX$82.2

79.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.77 MX$87.5

88.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.44 MX$26.45

-21.53%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$4.20 MX$77.1

-10.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.36 MX$25.06

138.97%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.20 MX$77.1

-1.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$4.84 MX$89.0

170.25%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.29 MX$189

39.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.41 MX$246

19.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.50 MX$64.2

25.14%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.18 MX$21.66

22.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.07 MX$38.05

119.32%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.28 MX$41.78

83.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.19 MX$40.13

20.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.79 MX$51.2

-15.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.09 MX$38.29

-15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.95 MX$17.45

127.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.79 MX$88.0

104.80%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.56 MX$28.71

78.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.78 MX$14.38

91.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$27.28 MX$501

48.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.84 MX$52.1

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.71 MX$49.82

-41.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$5.24 MX$96.2

573.47%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.42 MX$26.05

-30.28%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.1K MX$608.2K

8.07%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.7K MX$436.0K

14.43%

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

$219 $219

$106 MX$1,940

107.50%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$28.01 MX$514

107.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$24.40 MX$448

180.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$43.32 MX$795

33.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$16.83 MX$309

-11.94%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$5.58 MX$102

153.23%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$282 MX$5,179

434.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,172 MX$150.0K

162.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$74.7 MX$1,371

-30.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$66.9 MX$1,228

-34.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$164 MX$3,016

-48.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$253 MX$4,642

-58.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$531 MX$9,755

263.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$385 MX$7,066

230.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$946 MX$17.4K

288.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$678 MX$12.5K

272.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$571 MX$10.5K

794.03%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tampico: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Tampico

$385 28.8% 69.8% $888

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Tampico

$269 * 20.1% 33.3% $134

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Tampico

$171 12.8% 50.9% $177

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Tampico

$158 11.8% 54.3% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Tampico

$251 18.8% 95.3% $123

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Tampico

$54 4.1% 36.8% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Tampico

$47 3.5% 17.9% $10

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $531 in Tampico. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 794% 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 $55.0 in Tampico for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $269 per month, with Tampico cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Tampico

🕒 Local time

03:44 3:44 AM

02:44 2:44 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

297,562

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.45 USD

100 MXN = 4.86 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MXN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Tampico 900 km ≈ 1 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tampico

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 Tampico: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tampico wins on cost – living expenses run 101% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tampico the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 794% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $531 in Tampico. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,347 in Tampico – a 101% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tampico runs roughly 48% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,347 in Tampico versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tampico but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tampico 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 Tampico gentler on the wallet – expenses run 101% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.