Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Playa Flamingo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Playa Flamingo: $1,673 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

81

Cost of Living Index in Playa Flamingo
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Playa Flamingo Living Index
130

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

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Playa Flamingo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,673

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,673 in Playa Flamingo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Playa Flamingo $1,673
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,667 in Playa Flamingo versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Playa Flamingo $2,667
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,660 in Playa Flamingo versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Playa Flamingo $3,660
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Playa Flamingo costs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Playa Flamingo 24% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.07 ₡5,412

$20.77 $20.77

-41.89%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.4 ₡28.0K

$84.6 $84.6

-26.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.07 ₡4,517

$12.32 $12.32

-18.26%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ₡1,963

$5.63 $5.63

-22.20%

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

$2.74 ₡1,230

$3.72 $3.72

-26.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.84 ₡824

$2.50 $2.50

-26.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.30 ₡1,481

$8.05 $8.05

-59.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.52 ₡2,027

$9.01 $9.01

-49.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.02 ₡905

$1.12 $1.12

80.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.04 ₡1,365

$3.75 $3.75

-18.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 ₡1,081

$3.26 $3.26

-26.07%

Eggs

$2.93 ₡1,316

$4.17 $4.17

-29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.81 ₡4,847

$12.90 $12.90

-16.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.91 ₡4,446

$14.16 $14.16

-30.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 ₡5,361

$16.22 $16.22

-26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$4.33 $4.33

20.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.56 ₡701

$1.46 $1.46

6.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.74 ₡2,124

$4.51 $4.51

5.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,748

$4.34 $4.34

-10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$3.80 ₡1,703

$2.58 $2.58

47.29%

Onion (1kg)

$3.74 ₡1,678

$2.35 $2.35

59.15%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.02 ₡458

$1.78 $1.78

-42.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.24 ₡1,452

$2.22 $2.22

45.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.99 ₡2,236

$9.88 $9.88

-49.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.90 ₡8,926

$15.08 $15.08

31.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 ₡1,263

$2.92 $2.92

-3.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.51 ₡1,574

$3.46 $3.46

1.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.25 ₡562

$1.49 $1.49

-16.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.47 ₡1,106

$2.73 $2.73

-9.52%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ₡719

$1.66 $1.66

-3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.44 ₡3,786

$35.30 $35.30

-76.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 ₡682

$0.95 $0.95

60.00%

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

$21.6K ₡9.7M

$36.0K $36.0K

-40.11%

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

$34.3K ₡15.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

26.87%

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

$95.6 ₡42.9K

$229 $229

-58.26%

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

$19.92 ₡8,934

$59.4 $59.4

-66.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$60.1 ₡26.9K

$69.9 $69.9

-14.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$54.2 ₡24.3K

$57.2 $57.2

-5.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$10.17 ₡4,562

$16.33 $16.33

-37.72%

Cinema Ticket

$7.64 ₡3,425

$14.28 $14.28

-46.50%

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

$966 ₡433.1K

$1,506 $1,506

-35.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,005 ₡4.0M

$21.5K $21.5K

-58.03%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.3 ₡31.5K

$52.8 $52.8

33.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 ₡24.7K

$43.82 $43.82

25.60%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$130 ₡58.1K

$84.8 $84.8

52.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 ₡59.2K

$103 $103

28.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,619 ₡726.2K

$1,907 $1,907

-15.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$629 ₡282.2K

$1,274 $1,274

-50.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,944 ₡1.3M

$3,664 $3,664

-19.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,270 ₡569.7K

$2,538 $2,538

-49.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,654 ₡1.6M

$7,614 $7,614

-52.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for Playa Flamingo: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Playa Flamingo

$629 37.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 103% $645

Groceries & Markets

Playa Flamingo

$386 23.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 4.7% $18

Eating Out

Playa Flamingo

$223 13.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 58.6% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Playa Flamingo

$176 10.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 104% $183

Clothing & Footwear

Playa Flamingo

$174 10.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.5% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Playa Flamingo

$69 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 23.5% $16

Getting Around

Playa Flamingo

$15 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 279% $43

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 $1,619 in Playa Flamingo and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Playa Flamingo vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $386 vs $405 per month, with Playa Flamingo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Playa Flamingo

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:12 11:12 PM

00:12 12:12 AM

1 h ahead of Playa Flamingo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

💱 Currency

Costa Rican Colón CRC ₡

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD

1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CRC – Costa Rican Colón Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇷 Costa Rican Colón (₡)

Costa Rican Colón exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 448 CRC (1,000 CRC = 2.23 USD). 1 EUR = 504 CRC (1,000 CRC = 1.98 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Playa Flamingo Austin, TX 2,530 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Playa Flamingo
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

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

Playa Flamingo wins on cost – living expenses run 59% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Playa Flamingo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,510 in Playa Flamingo and $3,995 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: $1,619 in Playa Flamingo versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $966 in Playa Flamingo 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 Playa Flamingo – a meal for two runs $62.0 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 $2,000. Playa Flamingo 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.

Safety-wise, Playa Flamingo 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 Playa Flamingo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 59% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.