Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Zaragoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $635 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,300 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
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Zaragoza Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇸🇻 El Salvador

$635

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $635 in Zaragoza.

Austin, TX $2,663
Zaragoza $635

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,039 in Zaragoza.

Austin, TX $4,133
Zaragoza $1,039

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,443 in Zaragoza.

Austin, TX $5,603
Zaragoza $1,443

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 320% more expensive than in Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Zaragoza is 53% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.73 $6.73

208.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.58 $30.58

176.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.19 $7.19

71.35%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.46 $1.46

285.62%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.13 $1.13

229.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.84 $0.84

197.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.21 $1.21

565.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.13 $2.13

323.00%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.77 $1.77

-36.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.30 $2.30

63.04%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.95 $0.95

243.16%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.49 $2.49

67.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.64 $7.64

68.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.96 $3.96

257.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$5.46 $5.46

197.07%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.03 $4.03

7.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.44 $1.44

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.66 $2.66

69.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.17 $2.17

100.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.99 $2.99

-13.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.86 $1.86

26.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.95 $0.95

87.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.72 $0.72

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.80 $3.80

160.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.04 $8.04

87.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.55 $1.55

88.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.31 $2.31

49.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.53 $1.53

-2.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.96 $4.96

-44.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.03 $3.03

-45.21%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$20.38 $20.38

73.21%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$25.0K $25.0K

44.05%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.8K $24.8K

9.10%

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

$229 $229

$44.91 $44.91

409.89%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$21.66 $21.66

174.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$35.58 $35.58

96.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.04 $35.04

63.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.05 $5.05

182.77%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$153 $153

885.45%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,701 $4,701

356.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$68.1 $68.1

-22.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.09 $46.09

-4.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$111 $111

-23.91%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.1 $69.1

49.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

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

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 Zaragoza: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Zaragoza

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Zaragoza

$217 34.3% 46.3% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Zaragoza

$102 16.1% 71.5% $256

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Zaragoza

$111 17.5% 68.6% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Zaragoza

$133 20.9% 3.6% $4.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Zaragoza

$45 7.1% 47.4% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Zaragoza

$26 * 4.1% 55.3% $32

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $31.00 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $217 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇻 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

20:07 8:07 PM

19:07 7:07 PM

1 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

11,749

💱 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 Zaragoza 2,050 km ≈ 3 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Zaragoza

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 Zaragoza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zaragoza wins on cost – living expenses run 320% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zaragoza the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $952 in Zaragoza 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $153 in Zaragoza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zaragoza – a meal for two runs $31.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $635 in Zaragoza versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zaragoza but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 320% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.