Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Samara and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Samara: $2,007 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

98

Cost of Living Index in Samara
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Samara Living Index
130

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

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Samara

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,007

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,007 in Samara versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Samara $2,007
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,528 in Samara versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Samara $3,528
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,050 in Samara versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Samara $5,050
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Samara costs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Samara 49% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.84 ₡4,864

$20.77 $20.77

-47.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.2 ₡27.9K

$84.6 $84.6

-26.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.71 ₡5,250

$12.32 $12.32

-4.95%

Cappuccino

$4.38 ₡1,965

$5.63 $5.63

-22.20%

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

$2.72 ₡1,218

$3.72 $3.72

-26.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 ₡851

$2.50 $2.50

-24.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,464

$8.05 $8.05

-59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$9.01 $9.01

-49.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.36 ₡1,056

$1.12 $1.12

110.71%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 ₡1,407

$3.75 $3.75

-16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 ₡1,075

$3.26 $3.26

-26.38%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$4.17 $4.17

-16.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.73 ₡4,812

$12.90 $12.90

-16.82%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.58 ₡4,746

$14.16 $14.16

-25.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.85 ₡4,864

$16.22 $16.22

-33.11%

Apples (1kg)

$5.02 ₡2,252

$4.33 $4.33

15.94%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡705

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.80 ₡2,153

$4.51 $4.51

6.43%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,728

$4.34 $4.34

-11.29%

Potato (1kg)

$3.85 ₡1,728

$2.58 $2.58

49.22%

Onion (1kg)

$3.61 ₡1,618

$2.35 $2.35

53.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 ₡483

$1.78 $1.78

-39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.22 ₡1,445

$2.22 $2.22

45.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.40 ₡2,423

$9.88 $9.88

-45.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.51 ₡8,752

$15.08 $15.08

29.38%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,254

$2.92 $2.92

-4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 ₡1,056

$3.46 $3.46

-31.79%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.37 ₡613

$1.49 $1.49

-8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.40 ₡1,078

$2.73 $2.73

-12.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 ₡693

$1.66 $1.66

-6.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.46 ₡3,793

$35.30 $35.30

-76.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.49 ₡668

$0.95 $0.95

56.84%

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

$22.2K ₡10.0M

$36.0K $36.0K

-38.37%

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

$34.5K ₡15.5M

$27.1K $27.1K

27.51%

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

$93.7 ₡42.0K

$229 $229

-59.09%

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

$36.05 ₡16.2K

$59.4 $59.4

-39.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.2 ₡26.1K

$69.9 $69.9

-16.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$72.9 ₡32.7K

$57.2 $57.2

27.43%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$7.53 ₡3,376

$14.28 $14.28

-47.27%

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

$497 ₡223.0K

$1,506 $1,506

-66.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,064 ₡2.7M

$21.5K $21.5K

-71.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$65.2 ₡29.2K

$52.8 $52.8

23.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.5 ₡24.9K

$43.82 $43.82

26.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$131 ₡58.6K

$84.8 $84.8

54.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 ₡60.2K

$103 $103

30.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 ₡624.9K

$1,907 $1,907

-26.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$935 ₡419.2K

$1,274 $1,274

-26.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 ₡1.6M

$3,664 $3,664

-0.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,613 ₡1.2M

$2,538 $2,538

2.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,004 ₡2.2M

$7,614 $7,614

-34.28%

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 Samara: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Samara

$935 46.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 36.3% $339

Groceries & Markets

Samara

$389 19.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 4.1% $16

Eating Out

Samara

$218 10.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 62.1% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Samara

$188 9.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 90.7% $170

Clothing & Footwear

Samara

$174 8.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.2% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Samara

$88 4.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 2.5% $2.2

Getting Around

Samara

$16 * 0.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 277% $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 $1,393 in Samara and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Samara vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $389 vs $405 per month, with Samara cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Samara

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:23 10:23 PM

23:23 11:23 PM

1 h ahead of Samara

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,071

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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Samara Austin, TX 2,600 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Samara
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

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

Samara wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Samara the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,010 in Samara 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: $1,393 in Samara versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $497 in Samara 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 Samara – 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.

At $2,007 in Samara versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Samara but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Samara 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.

Safety-wise, Samara 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 Samara gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.