Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Monrovia and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Monrovia: $1,296 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

62

Cost of Living Index in Monrovia
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Monrovia Living Index
129

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

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Monrovia

🇱🇷 Liberia

$1,296

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,296 in Monrovia versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Monrovia $1,296
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,926 in Monrovia versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Monrovia $1,926
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,556 in Monrovia versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Monrovia $2,556
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Monrovia costs roughly 52% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Monrovia is 3% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$7.33 LRD 1,248

$20.22 $20.22

-63.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.87 LRD 1,850

$12.35 $12.35

-11.98%

Cappuccino

$2.96 LRD 505

$5.47 $5.47

-45.89%

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

$2.01 LRD 343

$3.82 $3.82

-47.38%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 LRD 348

$2.50 $2.50

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.92 LRD 667

$8.06 $8.06

-51.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.94 LRD 501

$8.99 $8.99

-67.30%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 LRD 363

$1.13 $1.13

88.50%

White Bread (500g)

$1.81 LRD 308

$3.78 $3.78

-52.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.11 LRD 870

$3.25 $3.25

57.23%

Eggs

$3.53 LRD 602

$4.14 $4.14

-14.73%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.82 LRD 1,332

$13.08 $13.08

-40.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.03 LRD 2,048

$14.31 $14.31

-15.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.53 LRD 2,303

$15.96 $15.96

-15.23%

Apples (1kg)

$1.59 LRD 272

$4.38 $4.38

-63.70%

Banana (1kg)

$8.28 LRD 1,410

$1.45 $1.45

471.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$10.11 LRD 1,721

$4.54 $4.54

122.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$11.03 LRD 1,878

$4.19 $4.19

163.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.25 LRD 384

$2.63 $2.63

-14.45%

Onion (1kg)

$10.54 LRD 1,795

$2.36 $2.36

346.61%

Lettuce (1 head)

$4.77 LRD 812

$1.76 $1.76

171.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.06 LRD 350

$2.16 $2.16

-4.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.87 LRD 829

$9.81 $9.81

-50.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.16 LRD 1,219

$14.72 $14.72

-51.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.43 LRD 413

$2.78 $2.78

-12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 LRD 586

$3.48 $3.48

-1.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 LRD 518

$1.49 $1.49

104.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$19.82 LRD 3,374

$40.51 $40.51

-51.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.06 LRD 350

$2.67 $2.67

-22.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 LRD 324

$1.58 $1.58

20.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$25.14 LRD 4,280

$35.29 $35.29

-28.76%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.22 LRD 208

$0.99 $0.99

23.23%

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

$19.8K LRD 3.4M

$35.8K $35.8K

-44.58%

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

$14.7K LRD 2.5M

$27.2K $27.2K

-45.87%

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

$149 LRD 25.4K

$219 $219

-31.94%

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

$22.06 LRD 3,756

$58.0 $58.0

-61.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$184 LRD 31.2K

$68.4 $68.4

168.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$62.4 LRD 10.6K

$57.9 $57.9

7.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.04 LRD 1,710

$14.82 $14.82

-32.25%

Cinema Ticket

$5.14 LRD 876

$14.13 $14.13

-63.62%

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

$98.2 LRD 16.7K

$1,509 $1,509

-93.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$1,018 LRD 173.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-95.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$24.95 LRD 4,248

$51.7 $51.7

-51.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.14 LRD 5,472

$44.05 $44.05

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$55.0 LRD 9,366

$85.1 $85.1

-35.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.5 LRD 15.6K

$105 $105

-13.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$253 LRD 43.1K

$1,932 $1,932

-86.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$96.0 LRD 16.4K

$1,272 $1,272

-92.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$650 LRD 110.6K

$3,670 $3,670

-82.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$267 LRD 45.5K

$2,525 $2,525

-89.41%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$704 LRD 119.8K

$5,105 $5,105

-86.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Monrovia: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Monrovia

$456 35.6%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 11.7% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Monrovia

$355 27.6%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 2.6% $9.2

Eating Out

Monrovia

$169 13.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 107% $180

Accommodation & Living

Monrovia

$96 7.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 1225% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Monrovia

$92 7.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 40.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Monrovia

$73 5.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 18.6% $14

Getting Around

Monrovia

$44 3.4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 30.8% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $253 in Monrovia and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 626% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Good to know

🇱🇷 Monrovia

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:31 5:31 AM

00:31 12:31 AM

5 h behind Monrovia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,010,970 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Liberian Dollar LRD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD

1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to LRD – Liberian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇱🇷 Liberian Dollar ($)

Liberian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 170 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.87 USD). 1 EUR = 191 LRD (1,000 LRD = 5.24 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to LRD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Monrovia Austin, TX 9,360 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Monrovia
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

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

Monrovia wins on cost – living expenses run 109% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Monrovia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 626% 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: $253 in Monrovia versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $98.2 in Monrovia versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Monrovia runs roughly 104% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,296 in Monrovia versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Monrovia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Monrovia 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 Monrovia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 109% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.