Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Montanita and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Montanita: $894 a month against $2,689 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in Montanita
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Montanita Living Index
128

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

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Montanita

🇪🇨 Ecuador

$894

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $894 in Montanita versus $2,689 in Austin, TX.

Montanita $894
Austin, TX $2,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,349 in Montanita versus $4,112 in Austin, TX.

Montanita $1,349
Austin, TX $4,112

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,805 in Montanita versus $5,534 in Austin, TX.

Montanita $1,805
Austin, TX $5,534

Living in Montanita costs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Montanita is 34% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.45 $3.45

$21.34 $21.34

-83.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$28.46 $28.46

$87.9 $87.9

-67.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.47 $7.47

$12.44 $12.44

-39.95%

Cappuccino

$2.52 $2.52

$5.60 $5.60

-55.00%

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

$0.87 $0.87

$3.65 $3.65

-76.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.67 $0.67

$2.39 $2.39

-71.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.05 $2.05

$7.82 $7.82

-73.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.59 $3.59

$8.75 $8.75

-58.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.09 $1.09

$1.12 $1.12

-2.68%

White Bread (500g)

$1.62 $1.62

$3.62 $3.62

-55.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.56 $1.56

$3.50 $3.50

-55.43%

Eggs

$2.18 $2.18

$4.45 $4.45

-51.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.60 $5.60

$13.18 $13.18

-57.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.46 $5.46

$13.94 $13.94

-60.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.14 $6.14

$16.46 $16.46

-62.70%

Apples (1kg)

$2.08 $2.08

$4.73 $4.73

-56.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.20 $1.20

$1.50 $1.50

-20.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$4.64 $4.64

-76.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 $1.09

$4.52 $4.52

-75.88%

Potato (1kg)

$1.44 $1.44

$2.55 $2.55

-43.53%

Onion (1kg)

$1.08 $1.08

$2.39 $2.39

-54.81%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.48 $0.48

$1.84 $1.84

-73.91%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.13 $2.13

-53.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.18 $6.18

$10.05 $10.05

-38.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.87 $9.87

$14.88 $14.88

-33.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.52 $1.52

$2.82 $2.82

-46.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 $2.44

$3.29 $3.29

-25.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 $0.34

$1.23 $1.23

-72.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.63 $23.63

$41.43 $41.43

-42.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.47 $1.47

$2.68 $2.68

-45.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.63 $1.63

-39.26%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.96 $9.96

$35.20 $35.20

-71.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.63 $0.63

$0.98 $0.98

-35.71%

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

$24.7K $24.7K

$34.4K $34.4K

-28.24%

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

$28.5K $28.5K

$26.8K $26.8K

6.23%

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

$39.32 $39.32

$252 $252

-84.41%

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

$13.65 $13.65

$59.8 $59.8

-77.19%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$30.74 $30.74

$69.7 $69.7

-55.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.35 $30.35

$60.4 $60.4

-49.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.74 $14.74

$18.14 $18.14

-18.74%

Cinema Ticket

$7.39 $7.39

$13.75 $13.75

-46.25%

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

$254 $254

$1,458 $1,458

-82.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,701 $5,701

$26.6K $26.6K

-78.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.1 $56.1

$52.6 $52.6

6.52%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.64 $43.64

$45.76 $45.76

-4.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.0 $99.0

$85.5 $85.5

15.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$75.9 $75.9

$106 $106

-28.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$342 $342

$2,195 $2,195

-84.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$322 $322

$1,269 $1,269

-74.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$632 $632

$4,000 $4,000

-84.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$507 $507

$2,406 $2,406

-78.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,259 $1,259

$7,381 $7,381

-82.94%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,013 $1,013

$2,964 $2,964

-65.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

46.63%

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

Last update for Montanita: November 1, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Montanita

$322 36%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2% 295% $947

Groceries & Markets

Montanita

$184 20.6%

Austin, TX

$407 15.2% 121% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Montanita

$124 13.8%

Austin, TX

$130 4.9% 5.5% $6.7

Eating Out

Montanita

$104 11.6%

Austin, TX

$356 13.2% 243% $252

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Montanita

$84 9.4%

Austin, TX

$382 14.2% 356% $298

Sport & Entertainment

Montanita

$45 5.1%

Austin, TX

$88 3.3% 94.6% $43

Getting Around

Montanita

$31 3.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.1% 82.2% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $342 in Montanita and $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $28 in Montanita vs $88 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $184 vs $407 per month, with Montanita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇨 Montanita

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:20 5:20 PM

16:20 4:20 PM

1 h behind Montanita

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,000

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.895 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Montanita Austin, TX 4,000 km ≈ 5 h nonstop flight

From you

Montanita
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

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

Montanita wins on cost – living expenses run 67% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Montanita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,341 in Montanita and $4,034 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: $342 in Montanita versus $2,195 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $894 per month in Montanita versus $2,689 in Austin, TX – Montanita is about 67% cheaper, which adds up to real savings over time.

A monthly transit pass in Montanita runs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

At $894 in Montanita versus $2,689 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Montanita but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Montanita 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 Montanita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 67% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.