Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Mesquite, TX: $2,352 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Mesquite, TX
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Mesquite, TX Living Index
129

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

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Mesquite, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,352

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,352 in Mesquite, TX versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Mesquite, TX $2,352
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,583 in Mesquite, TX versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Mesquite, TX $3,583
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,814 in Mesquite, TX versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Mesquite, TX $4,814
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Mesquite, TX costs roughly 13% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mesquite, TX 74% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.92 $17.92

$20.63 $20.63

-13.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$70.6 $70.6

$84.6 $84.6

-16.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.79 $10.79

$12.07 $12.07

-10.60%

Cappuccino

$5.38 $5.38

$5.48 $5.48

-1.82%

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

$2.52 $2.52

$3.80 $3.80

-33.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 $1.70

$2.47 $2.47

-31.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.63 $6.63

$8.05 $8.05

-17.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.90 $7.90

$8.88 $8.88

-11.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.11 $1.11

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.72 $3.72

-3.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.47 $4.47

$3.37 $3.37

32.64%

Eggs

$4.05 $4.05

$4.32 $4.32

-6.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.20 $12.20

$13.13 $13.13

-7.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.73 $11.73

$14.15 $14.15

-17.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.99 $16.99

$16.33 $16.33

4.04%

Apples (1kg)

$5.06 $5.06

$4.55 $4.55

11.21%

Banana (1kg)

$1.59 $1.59

$1.46 $1.46

8.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.22 $4.22

$4.71 $4.71

-10.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.66 $4.66

$4.15 $4.15

12.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.77 $2.77

$2.58 $2.58

7.36%

Onion (1kg)

$3.02 $3.02

$2.35 $2.35

28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.09 $2.09

$1.77 $1.77

18.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.32 $2.32

$2.14 $2.14

8.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.87 $8.87

$10.10 $10.10

-12.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.90 $14.90

$15.19 $15.19

-1.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.92 $1.92

$2.82 $2.82

-31.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.44 $3.44

-5.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.91 $1.91

$1.54 $1.54

24.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.80 $2.80

4.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.99 $1.99

$1.60 $1.60

24.37%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.55 $25.55

$34.34 $34.34

-25.60%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$0.94 $0.94

8.51%

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

$30.6K $30.6K

$34.0K $34.0K

-10.06%

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

$23.3K $23.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

-12.77%

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

$175 $175

$223 $223

-21.62%

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

$64.0 $64.0

$58.9 $58.9

8.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.2 $67.2

$70.6 $70.6

-4.77%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$47.72 $47.72

$57.7 $57.7

-17.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.47 $12.47

$14.26 $14.26

-12.55%

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

$1,401 $1,401

$1,511 $1,511

-7.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

2.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$45.78 $45.78

$51.3 $51.3

-10.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.02 $41.02

$44.17 $44.17

-7.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.2 $87.2

$87.0 $87.0

0.28%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 $1,678

$1,940 $1,940

-13.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,125 $1,125

$1,316 $1,316

-14.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,683 $2,683

$3,664 $3,664

-26.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$2,565 $2,565

-18.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,089 $3,089

$7,354 $7,354

-58.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,126 $2,126

$3,129 $3,129

-32.05%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,868 $3,868

$5,286 $5,286

-26.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.57

6.79

-3.24%

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

Last update for Mesquite, TX: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mesquite, TX

$1.1K 47.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 17% $192

Groceries & Markets

Mesquite, TX

$397 16.9%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 2.1% $8.5

Eating Out

Mesquite, TX

$306 13%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 14.4% $44

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mesquite, TX

$306 13%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 15.2% $46

Clothing & Footwear

Mesquite, TX

$125 5.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 3% $3.8

Sport & Entertainment

Mesquite, TX

$73 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 18.7% $14

Getting Around

Mesquite, TX

$21 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 182% $37

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 $1,678 in Mesquite, TX and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 37% 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: $71.0 in Mesquite, TX vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $397 vs $406 per month, with Mesquite, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Mesquite, TX

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:23 8:23 PM

Same time as Mesquite, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

150,108

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Mesquite, TX Austin, TX 300 km

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Mesquite, TX
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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

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

Mesquite, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 15% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mesquite, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 37% 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: $1,678 in Mesquite, TX versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,401 in Mesquite, TX versus $1,511 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 Mesquite, TX – a meal for two runs $71.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Mesquite, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Mesquite, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 15% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.