Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tijuana

For one person, living is cheaper in Tijuana: $1,303 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
64

Cost of Living Index in Tijuana
Learn more

Tijuana Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Tijuana

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,303

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,303 in Tijuana.

Austin, TX $2,704
Tijuana $1,303

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,067 in Tijuana.

Austin, TX $4,133
Tijuana $2,067

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,831 in Tijuana.

Austin, TX $5,562
Tijuana $2,831

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 107% more expensive than in Tijuana, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Tijuana is 3% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.98 MX$218

68.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$35.25 MX$641

141.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.69 MX$176

27.45%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.34 MX$78.9

26.04%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.42 MX$25.91

169.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.22 MX$22.12

104.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.37 MX$61.3

139.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.51 MX$118

38.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.78 MX$32.32

-36.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.87 MX$52.3

31.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.81 MX$32.83

79.56%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.25 MX$59.2

27.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.15 MX$148

60.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$7.55 MX$137

89.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.06 MX$219

32.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.87 MX$52.3

52.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 MX$30.47

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.90 MX$34.47

138.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.67 MX$30.31

150.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.59 MX$28.96

65.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.87 MX$34.10

26.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.52 MX$27.59

15.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.03 MX$18.73

109.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.42 MX$80.3

121.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.24 MX$150

78.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.17 MX$39.55

28.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.11 MX$74.8

-15.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.13 MX$20.54

31.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$30.84 MX$561

31.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.84 MX$51.6

-5.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.26 MX$41.05

-30.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$19.42 MX$353

81.72%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.54 MX$28.01

-35.71%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$21.5K MX$391.6K

66.33%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.7K MX$449.7K

9.94%

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

$219 $219

$46.78 MX$851

368.73%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$34.62 MX$630

67.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$29.93 MX$544

128.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$41.13 MX$748

40.77%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$8.05 MX$147

84.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$6.91 MX$126

104.49%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$209 MX$3,803

621.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,606 MX$83.8K

365.85%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$54.3 MX$987

-4.83%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$47.02 MX$855

-6.32%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$104 MX$1,885

-17.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$70.0 MX$1,274

50.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$868 MX$15.8K

122.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$481 MX$8,746

164.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,553 MX$28.2K

136.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$905 MX$16.5K

178.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,095 MX$56.3K

146.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,713 MX$49.3K

17.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$951 MX$17.3K

436.88%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

12.07

-43.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Tijuana: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Tijuana

$481 36.8% 62.2% $792

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Tijuana

$268 20.5% 33.5% $135

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Tijuana

$217 16.7% 37.5% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Tijuana

$111 8.5% 67.8% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Tijuana

$124 9.5% 3.9% $5

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Tijuana

$55 4.2% 36.2% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Tijuana

$49 3.8% 13.2% $7.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $868 in Tijuana. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 437% 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 $35.00 in Tijuana for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $268 per month, with Tijuana cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇽 Tijuana

🕒 Local time

03:19 3:19 AM

01:19 1:19 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,810,645

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mexican Peso MXN $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MXN = 5.5 USD

100 MXN = 4.9 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 = 18.19 MXN (100 MXN = 5.5 USD). 1 EUR = 20.4 MXN (100 MXN = 4.9 EUR).

MXN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Tijuana 1,840 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tijuana

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 Tijuana: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tijuana wins on cost – living expenses run 107% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tijuana the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 437% 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 $868 in Tijuana. 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 $1,303 in Tijuana – a 107% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tijuana runs roughly 31% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,303 in Tijuana versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Tijuana but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tijuana 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 Tijuana gentler on the wallet – expenses run 107% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.