Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between San Rafael and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in San Rafael: $1,732 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

84

Cost of Living Index in San Rafael
Learn more

San Rafael Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

San Rafael

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$1,732

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,732 in San Rafael versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

San Rafael $1,732
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,736 in San Rafael versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

San Rafael $2,736
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,739 in San Rafael versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

San Rafael $3,739
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in San Rafael costs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: San Rafael 28% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.25 ₡5,496

$20.77 $20.77

-41.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$61.7 ₡27.7K

$84.6 $84.6

-27.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.42 ₡5,119

$12.32 $12.32

-7.31%

Cappuccino

$4.40 ₡1,973

$5.63 $5.63

-21.85%

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

$2.73 ₡1,225

$3.72 $3.72

-26.61%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.87 ₡841

$2.50 $2.50

-25.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.37 ₡1,510

$8.05 $8.05

-58.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.54 ₡2,038

$9.01 $9.01

-49.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.33 ₡1,044

$1.12 $1.12

108.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.02 ₡1,352

$3.75 $3.75

-19.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,084

$3.26 $3.26

-25.77%

Eggs

$3.52 ₡1,580

$4.17 $4.17

-15.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.51 ₡4,712

$12.90 $12.90

-18.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.25 ₡4,597

$14.16 $14.16

-27.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.22 ₡6,378

$16.22 $16.22

-12.33%

Apples (1kg)

$5.09 ₡2,282

$4.33 $4.33

17.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.57 ₡704

$1.46 $1.46

7.53%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.68 ₡2,098

$4.51 $4.51

3.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.86 ₡1,730

$4.34 $4.34

-11.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.88 ₡1,741

$2.58 $2.58

50.39%

Onion (1kg)

$3.69 ₡1,653

$2.35 $2.35

57.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡488

$1.78 $1.78

-38.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.13 ₡1,403

$2.22 $2.22

40.99%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.11 ₡2,739

$9.88 $9.88

-38.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$20.14 ₡9,031

$15.08 $15.08

33.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.80 ₡1,254

$2.92 $2.92

-4.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.58 ₡1,606

$3.46 $3.46

3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.18 ₡527

$1.49 $1.49

-20.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.51 ₡1,124

$2.73 $2.73

-8.06%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.57 ₡703

$1.66 $1.66

-5.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.48 ₡3,803

$35.30 $35.30

-75.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.54 ₡692

$0.95 $0.95

62.11%

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

$22.3K ₡10.0M

$36.0K $36.0K

-38.07%

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

$35.5K ₡15.9M

$27.1K $27.1K

31.25%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$229 $229

-59.18%

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

$36.26 ₡16.3K

$59.4 $59.4

-38.95%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.4 ₡26.2K

$69.9 $69.9

-16.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.0 ₡28.3K

$57.2 $57.2

10.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$7.50 ₡3,362

$14.28 $14.28

-47.48%

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

$991 ₡444.6K

$1,506 $1,506

-34.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$16.8K ₡7.5M

$21.5K $21.5K

-21.65%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.5 ₡31.6K

$52.8 $52.8

33.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.6 ₡25.0K

$43.82 $43.82

26.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$129 ₡58.0K

$84.8 $84.8

52.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 ₡59.5K

$103 $103

28.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$740 ₡332.0K

$1,907 $1,907

-61.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$649 ₡291.2K

$1,274 $1,274

-49.04%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,069 ₡927.9K

$3,664 $3,664

-43.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 ₡571.5K

$2,538 $2,538

-49.79%

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 %)

8.62

6.79

26.95%

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

Last update for San Rafael: October 11, 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 Rafael

$649 37.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 96.2% $625

Groceries & Markets

San Rafael

$398 23%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 1.7% $6.8

Eating Out

San Rafael

$229 13.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 54.2% $124

Monthly Utilities & Internet

San Rafael

$188 10.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 90.4% $170

Clothing & Footwear

San Rafael

$175 10.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.7% $47

Sport & Entertainment

San Rafael

$78 4.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 10% $7.8

Getting Around

San Rafael

$15 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 290% $44

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 $740 in San Rafael and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in San Rafael vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $405 per month, with San Rafael cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 San Rafael

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:30 6:30 AM

07:30 7:30 AM

1 h ahead of San Rafael

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,000

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

San Rafael Austin, TX 2,670 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

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

San Rafael wins on cost – living expenses run 54% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making San Rafael the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,599 in San Rafael 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: $740 in San Rafael versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $991 in San Rafael 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 Rafael – 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 $1,732 in San Rafael versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in San Rafael but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes San Rafael 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 Rafael gentler on the wallet – expenses run 54% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.