Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Penasco and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Penasco: $1,216 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Puerto Penasco
🇲🇽 Mexico
$1,216
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,216 in Puerto Penasco versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

  • Puerto Penasco $1,216
  • Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,963 in Puerto Penasco versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Puerto Penasco $1,963
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,710 in Puerto Penasco versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

  • Puerto Penasco $2,710
  • Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Puerto Penasco costs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Puerto Penasco is 9% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$12.20 MX$224
$20.22 $20.22
-39.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$44.66 MX$820
$85.0 $85.0
-47.48%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$8.56 MX$157
$12.35 $12.35
-30.69%
Cappuccino
$4.83 MX$88.7
$5.47 $5.47
-11.70%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 MX$25.67
$3.82 $3.82
-63.35%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.05 MX$19.32
$2.50 $2.50
-58.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.67 MX$49.05
$8.06 $8.06
-66.87%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.95 MX$72.6
$8.99 $8.99
-56.06%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.60 MX$29.32
$1.13 $1.13
41.59%
White Bread (500g)
$3.05 MX$55.9
$3.78 $3.78
-19.31%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.68 MX$30.92
$3.25 $3.25
-48.31%
Eggs
$2.99 MX$54.8
$4.14 $4.14
-27.78%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$4.88 MX$89.7
$13.08 $13.08
-62.69%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$10.75 MX$197
$14.31 $14.31
-24.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.68 MX$178
$15.96 $15.96
-39.35%
Apples (1kg)
$4.47 MX$82.1
$4.38 $4.38
2.05%
Banana (1kg)
$1.91 MX$35.06
$1.45 $1.45
31.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$3.15 MX$57.8
$4.54 $4.54
-30.62%
Tomato (1kg)
$2.11 MX$38.80
$4.19 $4.19
-49.64%
Potato (1kg)
$1.95 MX$35.88
$2.63 $2.63
-25.86%
Onion (1kg)
$2.02 MX$37.14
$2.36 $2.36
-14.41%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.46 MX$26.85
$1.76 $1.76
-17.05%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$1.59 MX$29.19
$2.16 $2.16
-26.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.48 MX$82.2
$9.81 $9.81
-54.33%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.70 MX$252
$14.72 $14.72
-6.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.57 MX$28.91
$2.78 $2.78
-43.53%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.56 MX$28.67
$3.48 $3.48
-55.17%
🚌 Getting Around
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.64 MX$11.71
$1.49 $1.49
-57.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
-
$40.51 $40.51
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.25 MX$41.40
$2.67 $2.67
-15.73%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$3.13 MX$57.5
$1.58 $1.58
98.10%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$11.22 MX$206
$35.29 $35.29
-68.21%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.38 MX$25.27
$0.99 $0.99
39.39%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$21.3K MX$391.3K
$35.8K $35.8K
-40.48%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$24.4K MX$448.1K
$27.2K $27.2K
-10.20%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$71.5 MX$1,314
$219 $219
-67.37%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$12.60 MX$231
$58.0 $58.0
-78.27%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$43.81 MX$804
$68.4 $68.4
-35.91%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$33.41 MX$613
$57.9 $57.9
-42.30%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$20.26 MX$372
$14.82 $14.82
36.71%
Cinema Ticket
$5.43 MX$99.6
$14.13 $14.13
-61.57%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$226 MX$4,143
$1,509 $1,509
-85.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,696 MX$86.2K
$21.5K $21.5K
-78.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$55.9 MX$1,026
$51.7 $51.7
8.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$42.12 MX$773
$44.05 $44.05
-4.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$100 MX$1,839
$85.1 $85.1
17.72%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$90.6 MX$1,664
$105 $105
-13.96%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$533 MX$9,787
$1,932 $1,932
-72.41%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$387 MX$7,112
$1,272 $1,272
-69.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$958 MX$17.6K
$3,670 $3,670
-73.91%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$764 MX$14.0K
$2,525 $2,525
-69.72%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,873 MX$34.4K
$7,617 $7,617
-75.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,168 MX$21.4K
$3,199 $3,199
-63.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Puerto Penasco
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$596 MX$10.9K
$5,105 $5,105
-88.33%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
10.55
6.79
55.38%

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

Last update for Puerto Penasco: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Puerto Penasco
$387
Austin, TX
$1.3K 229% $885
Groceries & Markets
Puerto Penasco
$293
Austin, TX
$403 37.6% $110
Eating Out
Puerto Penasco
$212
Austin, TX
$348 63.9% $136
Clothing & Footwear
Puerto Penasco
$130
Austin, TX
$129 0.9% $1.2
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Puerto Penasco
$128
Austin, TX
$346 170% $218
Sport & Entertainment
Puerto Penasco
$44
Austin, TX
$86 94.6% $42
Getting Around
Puerto Penasco
$20 *
Austin, TX
$57 179% $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 $533 in Puerto Penasco and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 757% 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: $45.00 in Puerto Penasco vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $293 vs $403 per month, with Puerto Penasco cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇽 Puerto Penasco
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
23:47 11:47 PM
01:47 1:47 AM
2 h ahead of Puerto Penasco
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
56,756
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 18.36 MXN (100 MXN = 5.45 USD). 1 EUR = 20.59 MXN (100 MXN = 4.86 EUR).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Puerto Penasco Austin, TX 1,510 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight
From you
  • Puerto Penasco
  • 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
Puerto Penasco vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Puerto Penasco or Austin, TX?
Puerto Penasco wins on cost – living expenses run 122% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Puerto Penasco the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Puerto Penasco or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 757% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Puerto Penasco compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $533 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Puerto Penasco and in Austin, TX?
Childcare runs $226 in Puerto Penasco versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Puerto Penasco and in Austin, TX?
Dining out is cheaper in Puerto Penasco – a meal for two runs $45.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Puerto Penasco or in Austin, TX?
At $1,216 in Puerto Penasco versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Puerto Penasco but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Penasco the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Puerto Penasco or Austin, TX?
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.
How safe is Puerto Penasco compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Puerto Penasco 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Puerto Penasco gentler on the wallet – expenses run 122% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Puerto Penasco vs other spots: cost of living compared

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