Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Antonio and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Antonio: $612 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in San Antonio
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San Antonio Living Index
130

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

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San Antonio

🇵🇾 Paraguay

$612

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $612 in San Antonio versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Antonio $612
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,039 in San Antonio versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Antonio $1,039
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,467 in San Antonio versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Antonio $1,467
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Antonio costs roughly 77% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Antonio is 55% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.96 ₲39.6K

$20.77 $20.77

-66.49%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.13 ₲245.2K

$84.6 $84.6

-49.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.07 ₲40.2K

$12.32 $12.32

-42.61%

Cappuccino

$3.45 ₲19.6K

$5.63 $5.63

-38.72%

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

$1.06 ₲6,023

$3.72 $3.72

-71.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.57 ₲3,268

$2.50 $2.50

-77.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.92 ₲10.9K

$8.05 $8.05

-76.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.75 ₲9,951

$9.01 $9.01

-80.58%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.27 ₲7,231

$1.12 $1.12

13.39%

White Bread (500g)

$1.48 ₲8,425

$3.75 $3.75

-60.53%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 ₲7,997

$3.26 $3.26

-56.75%

Eggs

$2.51 ₲14.3K

$4.17 $4.17

-39.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.70 ₲55.1K

$12.90 $12.90

-24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.47 ₲31.1K

$14.16 $14.16

-61.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.38 ₲59.0K

$16.22 $16.22

-36.00%

Apples (1kg)

$3.13 ₲17.8K

$4.33 $4.33

-27.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.25 ₲7,134

$1.46 $1.46

-14.38%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.20 ₲6,851

$4.51 $4.51

-73.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.56 ₲14.5K

$4.34 $4.34

-41.01%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ₲7,952

$2.58 $2.58

-45.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 ₲7,747

$2.35 $2.35

-42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.94 ₲5,372

$1.78 $1.78

-47.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 ₲4,191

$2.22 $2.22

-66.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.38 ₲13.6K

$9.88 $9.88

-75.91%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.28 ₲52.8K

$15.08 $15.08

-38.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.42 ₲8,066

$2.92 $2.92

-51.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.72 ₲9,805

$3.46 $3.46

-50.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.55 ₲8,831

$2.73 $2.73

-43.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 ₲9,086

$1.66 $1.66

-3.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$10.59 ₲60.2K

$35.30 $35.30

-70.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.23 ₲7,016

$0.95 $0.95

29.47%

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

$17.4K ₲99.2M

$36.0K $36.0K

-51.62%

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

$35.7K ₲203.1M

$27.1K $27.1K

31.95%

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

$50.6 ₲287.9K

$229 $229

-77.89%

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

$17.77 ₲101.0K

$59.4 $59.4

-70.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$22.45 ₲127.7K

$69.9 $69.9

-67.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$8.66 ₲49.2K

$14.28 $14.28

-39.36%

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

$191 ₲1.1M

$1,506 $1,506

-87.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,832 ₲33.2M

$21.5K $21.5K

-72.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$66.1 ₲375.6K

$52.8 $52.8

25.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$57.9 ₲329.3K

$43.82 $43.82

32.15%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 ₲606.3K

$84.8 $84.8

25.78%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$72.6 ₲412.6K

$103 $103

-29.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

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 %)

10.5

6.79

54.64%

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

Last update for San Antonio: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San Antonio

$220 36%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 83.7% $184

Eating Out

San Antonio

$138 22.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 157% $216

Clothing & Footwear

San Antonio

$136 22.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6.2% $8.4

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Antonio

$91 14.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 294% $267

Sport & Entertainment

San Antonio

$17 * 2.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 395% $68

Getting Around

San Antonio

$9.5 * 1.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 515% $49

Accommodation & Living

San Antonio

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $43.00 in San Antonio vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $220 vs $405 per month, with San Antonio cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇵🇾 San Antonio

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:38 12:38 AM

22:38 10:38 PM

2 h behind San Antonio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

68,127

974,447

💱 Currency

Paraguayan Guarani PYG ₲

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD

10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to PYG – Paraguayan Guarani Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇵🇾 Paraguayan Guarani (₲)

Paraguayan Guarani exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 5,686 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.76 USD). 1 EUR = 6,393 PYG (10,000 PYG = 1.56 EUR).

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

USD to PYG in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Antonio Austin, TX 7,530 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

San Antonio
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

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

San Antonio wins on cost – living expenses run 335% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Antonio the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $918 in San Antonio 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.

Childcare runs $191 in San Antonio 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 San Antonio – a meal for two runs $43.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $612 in San Antonio versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in San Antonio but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Antonio 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 San Antonio gentler on the wallet – expenses run 335% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.