Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Turrialba

For one person, living is cheaper in Turrialba: $1,726 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 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
84

Cost of Living Index in Turrialba
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Turrialba Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Turrialba

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,726

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,726 in Turrialba.

Austin, TX $2,698
Turrialba $1,726

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $2,753 in Turrialba.

Austin, TX $4,160
Turrialba $2,753

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $3,779 in Turrialba.

Austin, TX $5,622
Turrialba $3,779

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 56% more expensive than in Turrialba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Turrialba 27% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$11.97 ₡5,370

72.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$60.9 ₡27.3K

38.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$11.78 ₡5,283

2.46%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.34 ₡1,946

26.27%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.75 ₡1,233

38.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.94 ₡871

27.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.32 ₡1,488

142.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.40 ₡1,973

101.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$2.35 ₡1,052

-52.77%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$3.06 ₡1,372

21.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.53 ₡1,134

33.20%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.60 ₡1,612

20.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$10.54 ₡4,726

24.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$10.32 ₡4,630

37.11%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.16 ₡6,352

15.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$5.07 ₡2,273

-10.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.57 ₡705

-7.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$4.74 ₡2,124

-0.63%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$3.97 ₡1,782

4.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.91 ₡1,754

-34.02%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.71 ₡1,663

-36.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.13 ₡505

56.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$3.19 ₡1,431

-32.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.07 ₡2,724

66.39%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$20.24 ₡9,076

-24.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.84 ₡1,274

-0.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$3.60 ₡1,613

-4.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.28 ₡574

20.31%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$2.45 ₡1,101

14.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.57 ₡704

1.91%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$8.80 ₡3,948

290.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.50 ₡671

-37.33%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$22.2K ₡10.0M

52.77%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$34.6K ₡15.5M

-22.54%

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

$223 $223

$96.4 ₡43.2K

130.92%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$35.27 ₡15.8K

67.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$59.2 ₡26.5K

19.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$73.7 ₡33.0K

-21.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$7.87 ₡3,527

81.19%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$993 ₡445.3K

52.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$17.3K ₡7.8M

20.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$72.0 ₡32.3K

-28.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$56.4 ₡25.3K

-21.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$128 ₡57.5K

-32.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$134 ₡60.1K

-22.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$808 ₡362.3K

140.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$626 ₡280.7K

110.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,870 ₡838.7K

95.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,287 ₡577.2K

99.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.62

-21.23%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Turrialba: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Turrialba

$626 36.3% 52.5% $690

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Turrialba

$402 23.3% 1.1% $4.3

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Turrialba

$191 11.1% 45.8% $161

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Turrialba

$227 13.2% 35.1% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Turrialba

$176 10.2% 36.2% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Turrialba

$89 5.2% 3.7% $3.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Turrialba

$15 * 0.9% 73.4% $43

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 $808 in Turrialba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $61.0 in Turrialba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $402 per month, with Turrialba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇷 Turrialba

🕒 Local time

07:32 7:32 AM

06:32 6:32 AM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

27,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CRC, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 24, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

CRC to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Turrialba 2,690 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Turrialba

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 Turrialba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Turrialba wins on cost – living expenses run 56% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Turrialba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $2,589 in Turrialba 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $808 in Turrialba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $993 in Turrialba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Turrialba – a meal for two runs $61.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,726 in Turrialba versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Turrialba but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Turrialba 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 Turrialba 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 Turrialba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 56% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.