Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between McAllen, TX and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in McAllen, TX: $1,788 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

87

Cost of Living Index in McAllen, TX
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McAllen, TX Living Index
130

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

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McAllen, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$1,788

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,788 in McAllen, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

McAllen, TX $1,788
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,731 in McAllen, TX versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

McAllen, TX $2,731
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,674 in McAllen, TX versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

McAllen, TX $3,674
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in McAllen, TX costs roughly 33% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: McAllen, TX 32% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$18.21 $18.21

$20.77 $20.77

-12.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.3 $76.3

$84.6 $84.6

-9.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.93 $7.93

$12.32 $12.32

-35.63%

Cappuccino

$4.53 $4.53

$5.63 $5.63

-19.54%

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

$2.44 $2.44

$3.72 $3.72

-34.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.93 $1.93

$2.50 $2.50

-22.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.97 $4.97

$8.05 $8.05

-38.26%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.40 $5.40

$9.01 $9.01

-40.07%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$1.12 $1.12

-13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$2.94 $2.94

$3.75 $3.75

-21.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.36 $4.36

$3.26 $3.26

33.74%

Eggs

$3.37 $3.37

$4.17 $4.17

-19.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.87 $9.87

$12.90 $12.90

-23.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.58 $12.58

$14.16 $14.16

-11.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.09 $15.09

$16.22 $16.22

-6.97%

Apples (1kg)

$5.14 $5.14

$4.33 $4.33

18.71%

Banana (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$1.46 $1.46

63.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.28 $3.28

$4.51 $4.51

-27.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.06 $2.06

$4.34 $4.34

-52.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.96 $2.96

$2.58 $2.58

14.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.62 $2.62

$2.35 $2.35

11.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.74 $1.74

$1.78 $1.78

-2.25%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.22 $2.22

-5.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$9.88 $9.88

-12.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.75 $15.75

$15.08 $15.08

4.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.09 $2.09

$2.92 $2.92

-28.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$3.46 $3.46

-35.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.29 $4.29

$2.73 $2.73

57.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.78 $0.78

$1.66 $1.66

-53.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 $0.89

$0.95 $0.95

-6.32%

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

$27.0K $27.0K

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.10%

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

$23.5K $23.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-13.37%

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

$164 $164

$229 $229

-28.22%

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

$37.59 $37.59

$59.4 $59.4

-36.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 $66.3

$69.9 $69.9

-5.11%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.90 $44.90

$57.2 $57.2

-21.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$12.23 $12.23

$14.28 $14.28

-14.36%

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

$908 $908

$1,506 $1,506

-39.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.5 $78.5

$52.8 $52.8

48.68%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.89 $44.89

$43.82 $43.82

2.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.2 $74.2

$84.8 $84.8

-12.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.6 $96.6

$103 $103

-6.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$816 $816

$1,907 $1,907

-57.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$669 $669

$1,274 $1,274

-47.49%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,342 $1,342

$3,664 $3,664

-63.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,144 $1,144

$2,538 $2,538

-54.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,676 $1,676

$7,614 $7,614

-77.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,700 $1,700

$3,157 $3,157

-46.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,646 $3,646

$5,121 $5,121

-28.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.48

6.79

-4.57%

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

Last update for McAllen, TX: 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

McAllen, TX

$669 37.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 90.4% $605

Groceries & Markets

McAllen, TX

$364 20.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 11.2% $41

Eating Out

McAllen, TX

$277 15.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 27.7% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

McAllen, TX

$268 15%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 33.5% $90

Clothing & Footwear

McAllen, TX

$132 7.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.3% $4.4

Sport & Entertainment

McAllen, TX

$69 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 23.7% $16

Getting Around

McAllen, TX

$8.2 * 0.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 616% $50

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 $816 in McAllen, TX and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 40% 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: $76.0 in McAllen, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $364 vs $405 per month, with McAllen, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 McAllen, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

Same time as McAllen, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

142,210

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

McAllen, TX Austin, TX 450 km

From you

McAllen, TX
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

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

McAllen, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making McAllen, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 40% 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: $816 in McAllen, TX versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $908 in McAllen, TX 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 McAllen, TX – a meal for two runs $76.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,788 in McAllen, TX versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in McAllen, TX but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes McAllen, TX 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 McAllen, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.