Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Marikina and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Marikina: $704 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Marikina
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Marikina Living Index
130

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

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Marikina

🇵🇭 Philippines

$704

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $704 in Marikina versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Marikina $704
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,094 in Marikina versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Marikina $1,094
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,484 in Marikina versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Marikina $1,484
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Marikina costs roughly 74% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Marikina is 48% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$4.07 ₱257

$20.77 $20.77

-80.40%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$32.37 ₱2,038

$84.6 $84.6

-61.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.17 ₱199

$12.32 $12.32

-74.27%

Cappuccino

$2.29 ₱144

$5.63 $5.63

-59.33%

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

$0.55 ₱34.81

$3.72 $3.72

-85.22%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.33 ₱20.92

$2.50 $2.50

-86.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.01 ₱63.7

$8.05 $8.05

-87.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₱149

$9.01 $9.01

-73.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 ₱117

$1.12 $1.12

65.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 ₱77.7

$3.75 $3.75

-67.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.06 ₱66.5

$3.26 $3.26

-67.48%

Eggs

$2.08 ₱131

$4.17 $4.17

-50.12%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.39 ₱466

$12.90 $12.90

-42.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.20 ₱264

$14.16 $14.16

-70.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.78 ₱427

$16.22 $16.22

-58.20%

Apples (1kg)

$2.46 ₱155

$4.33 $4.33

-43.19%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 ₱128

$1.46 $1.46

39.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 ₱146

$4.51 $4.51

-48.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.30 ₱145

$4.34 $4.34

-47.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.38 ₱150

$2.58 $2.58

-7.75%

Onion (1kg)

$3.48 ₱219

$2.35 $2.35

48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.10 ₱69.5

$1.78 $1.78

-38.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.70 ₱44.21

$2.22 $2.22

-68.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.93 ₱184

$9.88 $9.88

-70.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.73 ₱550

$15.08 $15.08

-42.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 ₱62.0

$2.92 $2.92

-66.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.05 ₱129

$3.46 $3.46

-40.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.50 ₱31.34

$1.49 $1.49

-66.44%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.73 ₱46.04

$2.73 $2.73

-73.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.23 ₱14.53

$1.66 $1.66

-86.14%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$1.94 ₱122

$35.30 $35.30

-94.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.24 ₱78.3

$0.95 $0.95

30.53%

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

$21.7K ₱1.4M

$36.0K $36.0K

-39.86%

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

$19.4K ₱1.2M

$27.1K $27.1K

-28.23%

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

$139 ₱8,744

$229 $229

-39.35%

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

$16.19 ₱1,019

$59.4 $59.4

-72.74%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.10 ₱1,769

$69.9 $69.9

-59.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.73 ₱2,312

$57.2 $57.2

-35.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$7.11 ₱448

$14.28 $14.28

-50.21%

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

$131 ₱8,250

$1,506 $1,506

-91.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,456 ₱469.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-65.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.9 ₱3,774

$52.8 $52.8

13.50%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$28.37 ₱1,786

$43.82 $43.82

-35.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$75.4 ₱4,745

$84.8 $84.8

-11.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$54.7 ₱3,442

$103 $103

-46.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$180 ₱11.3K

$1,907 $1,907

-90.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$79.2 ₱4,986

$1,274 $1,274

-93.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$322 ₱20.3K

$3,664 $3,664

-91.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$145 ₱9,110

$2,538 $2,538

-94.30%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,134 ₱71.4K

$7,614 $7,614

-85.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$481 ₱30.3K

$3,157 $3,157

-84.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$387 ₱24.3K

$5,121 $5,121

-92.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.75

6.79

-0.59%

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

Last update for Marikina: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Marikina

$206 29.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 96.8% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Marikina

$183 26%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 95.6% $175

Clothing & Footwear

Marikina

$98 14%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 30.2% $30

Eating Out

Marikina

$83 11.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 327% $271

Accommodation & Living

Marikina

$79 11.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 1509% $1.2K

Sport & Entertainment

Marikina

$51 7.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 68.4% $35

Getting Around

Marikina

$3.9 * 0.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 1413% $55

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 $180 in Marikina and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1224% 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: $32.00 in Marikina vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $206 vs $405 per month, with Marikina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇭 Marikina

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:29 1:29 AM

12:29 12:29 PM

13 h behind Marikina

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

456,059

974,447

💱 Currency

Philippine Peso PHP ₱

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 PHP = 1.59 USD

100 PHP = 1.41 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PHP – Philippine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇭 Philippine Peso (₱)

Philippine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 62.96 PHP (100 PHP = 1.59 USD). 1 EUR = 70.79 PHP (100 PHP = 1.41 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to PHP in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Marikina Austin, TX 13,520 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Marikina
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

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

Marikina wins on cost – living expenses run 278% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Marikina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1224% 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: $180 in Marikina versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $131 in Marikina 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 Marikina – a meal for two runs $32.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $704 in Marikina versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Marikina but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Marikina 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, Marikina 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 Marikina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 278% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.