Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Guanacaste and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Guanacaste: $1,548 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

75

Cost of Living Index in Guanacaste
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Guanacaste Living Index
130

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

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Guanacaste

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,548

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,548 in Guanacaste versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Guanacaste $1,548
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,428 in Guanacaste versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Guanacaste $2,428
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,309 in Guanacaste versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Guanacaste $3,309
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Guanacaste costs roughly 42% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Guanacaste 15% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.82 ₡4,860

$20.77 $20.77

-47.91%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$48.68 ₡21.9K

$84.6 $84.6

-42.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.68 ₡5,248

$12.32 $12.32

-5.19%

Cappuccino

$4.53 ₡2,036

$5.63 $5.63

-19.54%

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

$2.75 ₡1,236

$3.72 $3.72

-26.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.94 ₡872

$2.50 $2.50

-22.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.16 ₡1,420

$8.05 $8.05

-60.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,041

$9.01 $9.01

-49.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.00 ₡897

$1.12 $1.12

78.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₡1,366

$3.75 $3.75

-18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.43 ₡1,092

$3.26 $3.26

-25.46%

Eggs

$3.54 ₡1,591

$4.17 $4.17

-15.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.44 ₡2,442

$12.90 $12.90

-57.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 ₡2,006

$14.16 $14.16

-68.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.84 ₡4,870

$16.22 $16.22

-33.17%

Apples (1kg)

$2.56 ₡1,149

$4.33 $4.33

-40.88%

Banana (1kg)

$1.64 ₡737

$1.46 $1.46

12.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 ₡2,026

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$1.56 ₡699

$4.34 $4.34

-64.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,753

$2.58 $2.58

51.16%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 ₡1,004

$2.35 $2.35

-5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.85 ₡384

$1.78 $1.78

-52.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,389

$2.22 $2.22

39.19%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.42 ₡1,988

$9.88 $9.88

-55.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.31 ₡9,125

$15.08 $15.08

34.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.90 ₡1,302

$2.92 $2.92

-0.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.66 ₡1,193

$3.46 $3.46

-23.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.30 ₡583

$1.49 $1.49

-12.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.45 ₡1,102

$2.73 $2.73

-10.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡698

$1.66 $1.66

-6.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.80 ₡3,952

$35.30 $35.30

-75.07%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.55 ₡696

$0.95 $0.95

63.16%

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

$21.8K ₡9.8M

$36.0K $36.0K

-39.45%

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

$35.4K ₡15.9M

$27.1K $27.1K

30.90%

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

$96.5 ₡43.4K

$229 $229

-57.87%

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

$36.34 ₡16.3K

$59.4 $59.4

-38.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$32.76 ₡14.7K

$69.9 $69.9

-53.14%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.0 ₡32.4K

$57.2 $57.2

25.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$7.57 ₡3,401

$14.28 $14.28

-46.99%

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

$974 ₡437.5K

$1,506 $1,506

-35.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.4K ₡7.8M

$21.5K $21.5K

-18.87%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.6 ₡29.5K

$52.8 $52.8

24.28%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.46 ₡19.5K

$43.82 $43.82

-0.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$88.9 ₡39.9K

$84.8 $84.8

4.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$76.9 ₡34.5K

$103 $103

-25.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$812 ₡364.9K

$1,907 $1,907

-57.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$625 ₡280.9K

$1,274 $1,274

-50.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,920 ₡862.8K

$3,664 $3,664

-47.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,264 ₡568.2K

$2,538 $2,538

-50.19%

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 %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Guanacaste: 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

Guanacaste

$625 40.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 104% $649

Groceries & Markets

Guanacaste

$311 20.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 30.1% $94

Eating Out

Guanacaste

$220 14.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 61.2% $134

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Guanacaste

$166 10.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 116% $193

Clothing & Footwear

Guanacaste

$124 8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.5% $4.3

Sport & Entertainment

Guanacaste

$87 5.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 1.6% $1.4

Getting Around

Guanacaste

$15 * 1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 281% $43

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 $812 in Guanacaste and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $49.00 in Guanacaste vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $311 vs $405 per month, with Guanacaste cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Guanacaste

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

04:33 4:33 AM

1 h ahead of Guanacaste

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,823

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

Guanacaste Austin, TX 2,580 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Guanacaste
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

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

Guanacaste wins on cost – living expenses run 72% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Guanacaste the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,321 in Guanacaste and $3,995 in Austin, TX 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $812 in Guanacaste versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $974 in Guanacaste versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Guanacaste – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,548 in Guanacaste versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Guanacaste but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Guanacaste the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Guanacaste delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,548 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Guanacaste hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Guanacaste gentler on the wallet – expenses run 72% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.