Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cartago and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cartago: $1,713 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

80

Cost of Living Index in Cartago
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Cartago Living Index
130

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

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Cartago

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,713

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Cartago and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cartago $1,713
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,362 in Cartago versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cartago $2,362
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,011 in Cartago versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cartago $3,011
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cartago costs roughly 36% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cartago 27% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.64 ₡3,882

$20.77 $20.77

-58.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$34.53 ₡15.5K

$84.6 $84.6

-59.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.92 ₡4,458

$12.32 $12.32

-19.48%

Cappuccino

$4.54 ₡2,040

$5.63 $5.63

-19.36%

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

$2.13 ₡957

$3.72 $3.72

-42.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.36 ₡611

$2.50 $2.50

-45.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 ₡966

$8.05 $8.05

-73.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.06 ₡1,823

$9.01 $9.01

-54.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 ₡1,075

$1.12 $1.12

113.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.37 ₡1,067

$3.75 $3.75

-36.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.47 ₡1,112

$3.26 $3.26

-24.23%

Eggs

$3.57 ₡1,604

$4.17 $4.17

-14.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.61 ₡3,868

$12.90 $12.90

-33.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.38 ₡4,664

$14.16 $14.16

-26.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.94 ₡6,265

$16.22 $16.22

-14.06%

Apples (1kg)

$5.24 ₡2,356

$4.33 $4.33

21.02%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 ₡580

$1.46 $1.46

-11.64%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.49 ₡2,018

$4.51 $4.51

-0.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.91 ₡1,309

$4.34 $4.34

-32.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.24 ₡1,006

$2.58 $2.58

-13.18%

Onion (1kg)

$2.17 ₡973

$2.35 $2.35

-7.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.78 $1.78

-38.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.18 ₡979

$2.22 $2.22

-1.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.07 ₡2,728

$9.88 $9.88

-38.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.16 ₡6,810

$15.08 $15.08

0.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.89 ₡1,298

$2.92 $2.92

-1.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.03 ₡914

$3.46 $3.46

-41.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡614

$1.49 $1.49

-8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.2 ₡32.9K

$41.72 $41.72

75.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.33 ₡600

$2.73 $2.73

-51.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 ₡703

$1.66 $1.66

-6.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.95 ₡4,023

$35.30 $35.30

-74.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.51 ₡679

$0.95 $0.95

58.95%

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

$21.7K ₡9.7M

$36.0K $36.0K

-39.82%

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

$35.1K ₡15.8M

$27.1K $27.1K

29.72%

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

$52.4 ₡23.6K

$229 $229

-77.10%

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

$35.12 ₡15.8K

$59.4 $59.4

-40.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.9 ₡26.9K

$69.9 $69.9

-14.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.8 ₡33.1K

$57.2 $57.2

28.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$77.8 ₡34.9K

$16.33 $16.33

376.18%

Cinema Ticket

$7.27 ₡3,268

$14.28 $14.28

-49.09%

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

$549 ₡246.6K

$1,506 $1,506

-63.55%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,878 ₡3.5M

$21.5K $21.5K

-63.28%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.1 ₡31.5K

$52.8 $52.8

32.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 ₡25.4K

$43.82 $43.82

28.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 ₡54.5K

$84.8 $84.8

43.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$87.7 ₡39.4K

$103 $103

-14.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 ₡415.0K

$1,907 $1,907

-51.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$704 ₡316.5K

$1,274 $1,274

-44.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,869 ₡839.7K

$3,664 $3,664

-49.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$724 ₡325.4K

$2,538 $2,538

-71.47%

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)

$1,344 ₡604.0K

$5,121 $5,121

-73.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Cartago: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cartago

$704 41.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 80.9% $570

Groceries & Markets

Cartago

$348 20.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 16.2% $56

Eating Out

Cartago

$186 10.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 90.1% $168

Clothing & Footwear

Cartago

$151 8.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 15.3% $23

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cartago

$147 8.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 143% $211

Sport & Entertainment

Cartago

$88 5.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 2.9% $2.5

Getting Around

Cartago

$88 5.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 33.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Cartago and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 281% 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: $35.00 in Cartago vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $348 vs $405 per month, with Cartago cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Cartago

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:20 1:20 AM

02:20 2:20 AM

1 h ahead of Cartago

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

110,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR

1 USD = 0.893 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 USD = 449 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 503 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.99 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 15, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.893 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Cartago Austin, TX 2,680 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Cartago
Austin, TX

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

Cartago vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cartago wins on cost – living expenses run 55% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cartago the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 281% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $923 in Cartago versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,713 per month in Cartago versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 55% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cartago runs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,713 in Cartago versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Cartago but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cartago 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, Cartago and Austin, TX 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 Cartago gentler on the wallet – expenses run 55% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.