Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Juan and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Juan: $890 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

43

Cost of Living Index in San Juan
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San Juan Living Index
130

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

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San Juan

🇦🇷 Argentina

$890

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $890 in San Juan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Juan $890
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,389 in San Juan versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Juan $1,389
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,888 in San Juan versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Juan $1,888
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Juan costs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: San Juan is 34% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.76 ARS 10.3K

$20.77 $20.77

-67.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.31 ARS 59.7K

$84.6 $84.6

-53.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.08 ARS 18.3K

$12.32 $12.32

-1.95%

Cappuccino

$2.59 ARS 3,938

$5.63 $5.63

-54.00%

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

$2.11 ARS 3,202

$3.72 $3.72

-43.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.82 ARS 2,761

$2.50 $2.50

-27.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.91 ARS 5,930

$8.05 $8.05

-51.43%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 ARS 6,799

$9.01 $9.01

-50.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.38 ARS 2,101

$1.12 $1.12

23.21%

White Bread (500g)

$1.45 ARS 2,195

$3.75 $3.75

-61.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,124

$3.26 $3.26

-57.06%

Eggs

$1.44 ARS 2,184

$4.17 $4.17

-65.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$2.84 ARS 4,305

$12.90 $12.90

-77.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.23 ARS 9,448

$14.16 $14.16

-56.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.90 ARS 16.5K

$16.22 $16.22

-32.80%

Apples (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,129

$4.33 $4.33

-67.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.39 ARS 2,108

$1.46 $1.46

-4.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.34 ARS 2,037

$4.51 $4.51

-70.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.45 ARS 2,193

$4.34 $4.34

-66.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.40 ARS 2,128

$2.58 $2.58

-45.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.38 ARS 2,098

$2.35 $2.35

-41.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.40 ARS 2,129

$1.78 $1.78

-21.35%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,183

$2.22 $2.22

-35.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.71 ARS 4,117

$9.88 $9.88

-72.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.90 ARS 7,433

$15.08 $15.08

-67.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.41 ARS 2,136

$2.92 $2.92

-51.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.44 ARS 2,178

$3.46 $3.46

-58.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.96 ARS 1,460

$1.49 $1.49

-35.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.98 ARS 3,006

$2.73 $2.73

-27.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.99 ARS 1,495

$1.66 $1.66

-40.36%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.84 ARS 7,351

$35.30 $35.30

-86.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.17 ARS 1,782

$0.95 $0.95

23.16%

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

$26.7K ARS 40.6M

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.84%

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

$33.6K ARS 51.1M

$27.1K $27.1K

24.29%

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

$144 ARS 218.7K

$229 $229

-37.06%

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

$10.04 ARS 15.2K

$59.4 $59.4

-83.09%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$17.82 ARS 27.0K

$69.9 $69.9

-74.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.42 ARS 46.2K

$57.2 $57.2

-46.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$6.93 ARS 10.5K

$14.28 $14.28

-51.47%

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

$172 ARS 260.5K

$1,506 $1,506

-88.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,122 ARS 6.3M

$21.5K $21.5K

-80.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 ARS 162.3K

$52.8 $52.8

102.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.58 ARS 64.6K

$43.82 $43.82

-2.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$58.1 ARS 88.1K

$84.8 $84.8

-31.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$35.86 ARS 54.4K

$103 $103

-65.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$249 ARS 378.2K

$1,907 $1,907

-86.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$198 ARS 301.1K

$1,274 $1,274

-84.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$492 ARS 747.1K

$3,664 $3,664

-86.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$400 ARS 607.2K

$2,538 $2,538

-84.24%

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)

$700 ARS 1.1M

$5,121 $5,121

-86.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

695.29%

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

Last update for San Juan: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

San Juan

$198 22.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 542% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

San Juan

$190 21.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 114% $215

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Juan

$172 19.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 108% $186

Eating Out

San Juan

$166 18.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 114% $188

Clothing & Footwear

San Juan

$110 12.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16.8% $18

Sport & Entertainment

San Juan

$44 5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 93.8% $42

Getting Around

San Juan

$11 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 445% $48

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 $249 in San Juan and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 632% 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: $39.00 in San Juan vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $405 per month, with San Juan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇷 San Juan

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

13:44 1:44 PM

11:44 11:44 AM

2 h behind San Juan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

522,029

974,447

💱 Currency

Argentine Peso ARS $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD

10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to ARS – Argentine Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇷 Argentine Peso ($)

Argentine Peso exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,517 ARS (10,000 ARS = 6.59 USD). 1 EUR = 1,706 ARS (10,000 ARS = 5.86 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to ARS in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

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

San Juan wins on cost – living expenses run 199% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Juan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 632% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $249 in San Juan versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $172 in San Juan 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 Juan – a meal for two runs $39.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $890 in San Juan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in San Juan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Juan 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 Juan 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 Juan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 199% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.