Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cuernavaca and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cuernavaca: $1,011 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Cuernavaca
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,011
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Cuernavaca $1,011
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,692 in Cuernavaca versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Cuernavaca $1,692
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,373 in Cuernavaca versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Cuernavaca $2,373
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cuernavaca costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cuernavaca is 25% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.05 MX$149
$20.77 $20.77
-61.24%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$38.27 MX$707
$84.6 $84.6
-54.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.24 MX$134
$12.32 $12.32
-41.23%
Cappuccino
$2.43 MX$44.98
$5.63 $5.63
-56.84%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.27 MX$23.43
$3.72 $3.72
-65.86%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.63 MX$11.60
$2.50 $2.50
-74.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.50 MX$46.29
$8.05 $8.05
-68.94%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.26 MX$60.3
$9.01 $9.01
-63.82%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.70 MX$31.33
$1.12 $1.12
51.79%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 MX$40.92
$3.75 $3.75
-41.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.44 MX$26.52
$3.26 $3.26
-55.83%
Eggs
$1.92 MX$35.49
$4.17 $4.17
-53.96%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$8.08 MX$149
$12.90 $12.90
-37.36%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$4.89 MX$90.4
$14.16 $14.16
-65.47%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$13.78 MX$255
$16.22 $16.22
-15.04%
Apples (1kg)
$2.23 MX$41.24
$4.33 $4.33
-48.50%
Banana (1kg)
$1.35 MX$25.02
$1.46 $1.46
-7.53%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.17 MX$40.07
$4.51 $4.51
-51.88%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.67 MX$30.92
$4.34 $4.34
-61.52%
Potato (1kg)
$1.71 MX$31.62
$2.58 $2.58
-33.72%
Onion (1kg)
$1.74 MX$32.06
$2.35 $2.35
-25.96%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.53 MX$28.25
$1.78 $1.78
-14.04%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.91 MX$16.78
$2.22 $2.22
-59.01%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.39 MX$81.2
$9.88 $9.88
-55.57%
Wine (Bottle)
$8.15 MX$151
$15.08 $15.08
-45.95%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.22 MX$22.55
$2.92 $2.92
-58.22%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.32 MX$61.4
$3.46 $3.46
-4.05%
🚌 Getting Around
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.57 MX$10.51
$1.49 $1.49
-61.74%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$27.69 MX$512
$41.72 $41.72
-33.63%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.90 MX$35.20
$2.73 $2.73
-30.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.63 MX$48.52
$1.66 $1.66
58.43%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$10.93 MX$202
$35.30 $35.30
-69.04%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.42 MX$26.26
$0.95 $0.95
49.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.0K MX$387.9K
$36.0K $36.0K
-41.77%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.1K MX$444.6K
$27.1K $27.1K
-11.12%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$57.3 MX$1,059
$229 $229
-74.99%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$18.78 MX$347
$59.4 $59.4
-68.38%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$25.19 MX$465
$69.9 $69.9
-63.97%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$25.75 MX$476
$57.2 $57.2
-55.01%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
-
$16.33 $16.33
-
Cinema Ticket
$5.44 MX$100
$14.28 $14.28
-61.90%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$217 MX$4,018
$1,506 $1,506
-85.56%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$5,075 MX$93.8K
$21.5K $21.5K
-76.35%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$41.29 MX$763
$52.8 $52.8
-21.81%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.18 MX$613
$43.82 $43.82
-24.28%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$93.0 MX$1,719
$84.8 $84.8
9.73%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$99.1 MX$1,832
$103 $103
-3.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$385 MX$7,110
$1,907 $1,907
-79.83%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$332 MX$6,140
$1,274 $1,274
-73.92%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$957 MX$17.7K
$3,664 $3,664
-73.88%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$804 MX$14.9K
$2,538 $2,538
-68.32%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$870 MX$16.1K
$7,614 $7,614
-88.58%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$606 MX$11.2K
$3,157 $3,157
-80.80%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Cuernavaca
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$649 MX$12.0K
$5,121 $5,121
-87.32%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
11.4
6.79
67.89%

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

Last update for Cuernavaca: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Cuernavaca
$332
Austin, TX
$1.3K 283% $942
Groceries & Markets
Cuernavaca
$234
Austin, TX
$405 73.2% $171
Eating Out
Cuernavaca
$142
Austin, TX
$354 149% $212
Clothing & Footwear
Cuernavaca
$120
Austin, TX
$128 6.7% $8
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Cuernavaca
$101
Austin, TX
$358 254% $257
Getting Around
Cuernavaca
$45
Austin, TX
$59 30.4% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Cuernavaca
$37
Austin, TX
$86 134% $49

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $385 in Cuernavaca and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 689% 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: $38.00 in Cuernavaca vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $234 vs $405 per month, with Cuernavaca cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Cuernavaca
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
09:54 9:54 AM
10:54 10:54 AM
1 h ahead of Cuernavaca
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
341,029
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Cuernavaca Austin, TX 1,270 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Cuernavaca
  • 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
Cuernavaca vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Cuernavaca or Austin, TX?
Cuernavaca wins on cost – living expenses run 164% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cuernavaca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Cuernavaca or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 689% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Cuernavaca compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $385 in Cuernavaca versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Cuernavaca compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $1,011 per month in Cuernavaca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 164% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Cuernavaca compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Cuernavaca runs roughly 51% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Cuernavaca or in Austin, TX?
At $1,011 in Cuernavaca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cuernavaca but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cuernavaca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Cuernavaca or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Cuernavaca compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Cuernavaca 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Cuernavaca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 164% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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