Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Zaragoza

For one person, living is cheaper in Zaragoza: $1,694 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
82

Cost of Living Index in Zaragoza
Learn more

Zaragoza Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Zaragoza

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,694

/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 $1,694 in Zaragoza.

Austin, TX $2,663
Zaragoza $1,694

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,478 in Zaragoza.

Austin, TX $4,133
Zaragoza $2,478

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,263 in Zaragoza.

Austin, TX $5,603
Zaragoza $3,263

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 57% more expensive than in Zaragoza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Zaragoza 25% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.54 €14.72

25.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$56.9 €50.6

48.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.27 €10.03

9.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.12 €1.89

165.57%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.43 €2.16

53.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.54 €1.37

62.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.43 €3.05

134.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.30 €2.93

173.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.19 €1.06

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.95 €1.74

92.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.49 €1.32

118.79%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.81 €2.50

48.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$16.17 €14.39

-20.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.98 €7.98

57.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.00 €18.68

-22.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.67 €2.37

62.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.50 €2.23

-41.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.60 €2.31

73.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.08 €2.74

40.91%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.00 €1.78

29.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.24 €1.99

4.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.77 €1.57

0.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.73 €0.65

204.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.12 €5.44

61.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.38 €3.90

244.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.92 €0.82

217.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.45 €3.07

0.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.69 €1.50

-11.83%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$31.91 €28.38

30.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.32 €2.06

17.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.06 €0.94

56.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$29.17 €25.95

21.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.77 €1.58

-46.33%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.6K €31.6K

1.37%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$29.3K €26.1K

-7.67%

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

$229 $229

$161 €144

41.84%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$11.52 €10.25

415.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$21.33 €18.97

227.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.72 €31.78

60.25%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.36 €12.77

13.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.10 €8.09

56.92%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$493 €439

205.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,876 €7,006

172.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$89.5 €79.6

-41.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.48 €34.23

13.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$100 €89.0

-15.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$113 €101

-9.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$810 €721

135.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$709 €630

79.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,288 €1,145

184.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,009 €898

151.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,196 €2,843

138.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,944 €1,729

62.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,009 €1,787

154.85%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.46

96.24%

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 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Zaragoza

$709 41.8% 44.4% $566

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Zaragoza

$306 18.1% 24.5% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Zaragoza

$194 11.5% 45.8% $164

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Zaragoza

$231 13.7% 34.6% $123

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Zaragoza

$154 9.1% 20.1% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Zaragoza

$54 3.2% 37.2% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Zaragoza

$46 2.7% 21.1% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $810 in Zaragoza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 155% 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 $57.0 in Zaragoza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $306 per month, with Zaragoza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇪🇸 Zaragoza

🕒 Local time

13:29 1:29 PM

20:29 8:29 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

682,513

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Zaragoza 8,350 km ≈ 11 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 57% 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.

Average pay runs 155% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $810 in Zaragoza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,694 in Zaragoza – a 57% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zaragoza 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 $1,694 in Zaragoza versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 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 work as nomad bases, but Zaragoza delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,694 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zaragoza hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Zaragoza 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 Zaragoza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 57% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.