Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Castro and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Castro: $875 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Castro
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Castro Living Index
130

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

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Castro

🇨🇱 Chile

$875

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Castro 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 Castro and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $875 in Castro versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Castro $875
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,381 in Castro versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Castro $1,381
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,887 in Castro versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Castro $1,887
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Castro costs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Castro is 35% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.29 CLP 8,163

$20.77 $20.77

-60.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.10 CLP 45.4K

$84.6 $84.6

-45.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.66 CLP 5,568

$12.32 $12.32

-54.06%

Cappuccino

$1.49 CLP 1,464

$5.63 $5.63

-73.53%

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

$1.20 CLP 1,181

$3.72 $3.72

-67.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.01 CLP 990

$2.50 $2.50

-59.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.15 CLP 5,066

$8.05 $8.05

-36.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.29 CLP 7,173

$9.01 $9.01

-19.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.08 CLP 1,065

$1.12 $1.12

-3.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.51 CLP 3,451

$3.75 $3.75

-6.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.25 CLP 1,232

$3.26 $3.26

-61.66%

Eggs

$4.12 CLP 4,056

$4.17 $4.17

-1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.67 CLP 9,523

$12.90 $12.90

-25.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.03 CLP 3,965

$14.16 $14.16

-71.54%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.49 CLP 8,358

$16.22 $16.22

-47.66%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 CLP 1,373

$4.33 $4.33

-67.67%

Banana (1kg)

$2.30 CLP 2,268

$1.46 $1.46

57.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.48 CLP 1,461

$4.51 $4.51

-67.18%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.98 CLP 1,947

$4.34 $4.34

-54.38%

Potato (1kg)

$1.13 CLP 1,109

$2.58 $2.58

-56.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.52 CLP 1,494

$1.78 $1.78

-14.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.56 CLP 1,531

$2.22 $2.22

-29.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.75 CLP 3,688

$9.88 $9.88

-62.04%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.78 CLP 7,662

$15.08 $15.08

-48.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.00 CLP 987

$2.92 $2.92

-65.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.13 CLP 3,085

$3.46 $3.46

-9.54%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.66 CLP 654

$1.49 $1.49

-55.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 CLP 1,282

$0.95 $0.95

36.84%

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

$15.5K CLP 15.2M

$36.0K $36.0K

-57.11%

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

$18.2K CLP 17.9M

$27.1K $27.1K

-32.70%

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

$131 CLP 128.8K

$229 $229

-42.85%

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

$59.4 $59.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$31.25 CLP 30.8K

$69.9 $69.9

-55.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.0 CLP 79.7K

$84.8 $84.8

-4.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$355 CLP 349.2K

$1,907 $1,907

-81.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$290 CLP 285.5K

$1,274 $1,274

-77.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,002 CLP 986.6K

$3,664 $3,664

-72.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$576 CLP 566.8K

$2,538 $2,538

-77.31%

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)

$614 CLP 604.7K

$5,121 $5,121

-88.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.09%

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

Last update for Castro: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Castro

$290 33.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 339% $984

Groceries & Markets

Castro

$234 * 26.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 73.2% $171

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Castro

$162 * 18.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 121% $196

Eating Out

Castro

$150 17.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 136% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Castro

$36 * 4.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 251% $92

Getting Around

Castro

$2.7 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 2106% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Castro

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

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 $355 in Castro and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 734% 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: $46.00 in Castro vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $405 per month, with Castro cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇱 Castro

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:36 10:36 PM

20:36 8:36 PM

2 h behind Castro

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,417

974,447

💱 Currency

Chilean Peso CLP $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 CLP = 10.16 USD

10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CLP – Chilean Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇱 Chilean Peso ($)

Chilean Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 984 CLP (1,000 CLP = 1.02 USD). 1 EUR = 1,107 CLP (10,000 CLP = 9.04 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CLP in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Castro Austin, TX 8,450 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Castro
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

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

Castro wins on cost – living expenses run 204% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Castro the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 734% 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: $355 in Castro 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 $875 per month in Castro versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 204% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 73% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $875 in Castro versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Castro but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Castro 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 Castro gentler on the wallet – expenses run 204% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.