Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San José and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San José: $913 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

44

Cost of Living Index in San José
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San José Living Index
129

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

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San José

🇺🇾 Uruguay

$913

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $913 in San José versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

San José $913
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,449 in San José versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

San José $1,449
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,985 in San José versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

San José $1,985
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in San José costs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San José is 33% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.95 UYU 520

$20.63 $20.63

-37.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$43.87 UYU 1,761

$84.6 $84.6

-48.13%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.82 UYU 555

$12.07 $12.07

14.50%

Cappuccino

$4.88 UYU 196

$5.48 $5.48

-10.95%

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

$2.38 UYU 95.6

$3.80 $3.80

-37.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 UYU 87.9

$2.47 $2.47

-11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.92 UYU 117

$8.05 $8.05

-63.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 UYU 140

$8.88 $8.88

-60.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 UYU 39.77

$1.11 $1.11

-10.81%

White Bread (500g)

$2.01 UYU 80.7

$3.72 $3.72

-45.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.47 UYU 59.0

$3.37 $3.37

-56.38%

Eggs

$2.62 UYU 105

$4.32 $4.32

-39.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.01 UYU 482

$13.13 $13.13

-8.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.26 UYU 291

$14.15 $14.15

-48.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.07 UYU 484

$16.33 $16.33

-26.09%

Apples (1kg)

$1.22 UYU 48.77

$4.55 $4.55

-73.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 61.8

$1.46 $1.46

5.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.21 UYU 48.71

$4.71 $4.71

-74.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.54 UYU 61.7

$4.15 $4.15

-62.89%

Potato (1kg)

$0.98 UYU 39.49

$2.58 $2.58

-62.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 UYU 51.5

$2.35 $2.35

-45.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.49 UYU 59.7

$1.77 $1.77

-15.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.99 UYU 79.9

$2.14 $2.14

-7.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.82 UYU 394

$10.10 $10.10

-2.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 UYU 328

$15.19 $15.19

-46.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.05 UYU 123

$2.82 $2.82

8.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 UYU 135

$3.44 $3.44

-2.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.50 UYU 141

$2.80 $2.80

25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.45 UYU 139

$1.60 $1.60

115.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.95 UYU 399

$34.34 $34.34

-71.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.15 UYU 86.3

$0.94 $0.94

128.72%

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

$36.4K UYU 1.5M

$34.0K $34.0K

7.15%

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

$40.1K UYU 1.6M

$26.8K $26.8K

49.64%

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

$113 UYU 4,547

$223 $223

-49.11%

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

$23.78 UYU 955

$58.9 $58.9

-59.63%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.11 UYU 1,891

$70.6 $70.6

-33.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$12.35 UYU 496

$14.26 $14.26

-13.39%

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

$494 UYU 19.8K

$1,511 $1,511

-67.32%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,691 UYU 268.6K

$20.9K $20.9K

-67.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.3 UYU 3,542

$51.3 $51.3

72.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$37.57 UYU 1,508

$44.17 $44.17

-14.94%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 UYU 6,601

$87.0 $87.0

89.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$117 UYU 4,699

$104 $104

12.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-26.36%

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

Last update for San José: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

San José

$256 28.1%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 58.3% $150

Eating Out

San José

$243 26.7%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 43.8% $107

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San José

$184 20.2%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 91.2% $168

Clothing & Footwear

San José

$183 20.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 29.6% $54

Sport & Entertainment

San José

$25 * 2.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 249% $62

Getting Around

San José

$21 * 2.3%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 179% $37

Accommodation & Living

San José

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $44.00 in San José vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $256 vs $406 per month, with San José cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇾 San José

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:50 5:50 PM

15:50 3:50 PM

2 h behind San José

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

36,747

974,447

💱 Currency

Uruguayan Peso UYU $U

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 UYU = 2.49 USD

100 UYU = 2.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to UYU – Uruguayan Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇺🇾 Uruguayan Peso ($U)

Uruguayan Peso exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 40.14 UYU (100 UYU = 2.49 USD). 1 EUR = 45.12 UYU (100 UYU = 2.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to UYU in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San José Austin, TX 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

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

San José wins on cost – living expenses run 196% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San José the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,369 in San José and $4,046 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 $494 in San José versus $1,511 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 José – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $913 in San José versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San José but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San José 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, San José 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 San José gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.