Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Puerto Rico and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Puerto Rico: $1,730 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 Puerto Rico
Learn more

Puerto Rico Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Puerto Rico

🇪🇸 Spain

$1,730

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,730 in Puerto Rico versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Puerto Rico $1,730
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,579 in Puerto Rico versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Puerto Rico $2,579
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,429 in Puerto Rico versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Puerto Rico $3,429
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Puerto Rico 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: Puerto Rico 28% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.40 €18.15

$20.77 $20.77

-1.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.9 €54.2

$84.6 $84.6

-28.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.11 €9.88

$12.32 $12.32

-9.82%

Cappuccino

$2.05 €1.83

$5.63 $5.63

-63.59%

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

$1.94 €1.73

$3.72 $3.72

-47.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.50 $2.50

-48.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.77 €2.47

$8.05 $8.05

-65.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.28 €2.92

$9.01 $9.01

-63.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.39 €1.23

$1.12 $1.12

24.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 €2.18

$3.75 $3.75

-34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.59 €1.41

$3.26 $3.26

-51.23%

Eggs

$4.16 €3.70

$4.17 $4.17

-0.24%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.85 €17.66

$12.90 $12.90

53.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.29 €9.15

$14.16 $14.16

-27.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.84 €15.86

$16.22 $16.22

9.99%

Apples (1kg)

$2.77 €2.46

$4.33 $4.33

-36.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 €2.07

$1.46 $1.46

59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.18 €1.94

$4.51 $4.51

-51.66%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.63 €2.34

$4.34 $4.34

-39.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$2.58 $2.58

-16.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.00 €1.78

$2.35 $2.35

-14.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.71 €1.52

$1.78 $1.78

-3.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 €0.88

$2.22 $2.22

-55.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.74 €4.22

$9.88 $9.88

-52.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.90 €7.03

$15.08 $15.08

-47.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 €1.44

$2.92 $2.92

-44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.69 €1.50

$3.46 $3.46

-51.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.61 €1.43

$1.49 $1.49

8.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.93 €29.29

$41.72 $41.72

-21.07%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.19 €3.72

$2.73 $2.73

53.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.66 $1.66

1.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$17.01 €15.13

$35.30 $35.30

-51.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.72 €1.53

$0.95 $0.95

81.05%

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

$35.8K €31.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-0.58%

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

$29.1K €25.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

7.45%

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

$127 €113

$229 $229

-44.42%

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

$22.56 €20.07

$59.4 $59.4

-62.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$35.96 €31.99

$69.9 $69.9

-48.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.82 €39.86

$57.2 $57.2

-21.70%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.88 €14.12

$16.33 $16.33

-2.76%

Cinema Ticket

$10.11 €8.99

$14.28 $14.28

-29.20%

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

$402 €358

$1,506 $1,506

-73.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,970 €4,420

$21.5K $21.5K

-76.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.5 €83.2

$52.8 $52.8

77.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.99 €37.35

$43.82 $43.82

-4.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.0 €80.1

$84.8 $84.8

6.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 €100

$103 $103

9.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$908 €808

$1,907 $1,907

-52.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$688 €612

$1,274 $1,274

-45.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,355 €1,206

$3,664 $3,664

-63.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €902

$2,538 $2,538

-60.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,250 €2,891

$7,614 $7,614

-57.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,223 €1,977

$3,157 $3,157

-29.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.31

6.79

-51.25%

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

Last update for Puerto Rico: 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

Puerto Rico

$688 39.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 85.2% $586

Groceries & Markets

Puerto Rico

$332 19.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 21.9% $73

Eating Out

Puerto Rico

$255 14.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 39% $99

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Puerto Rico

$186 10.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 92.8% $172

Clothing & Footwear

Puerto Rico

$152 8.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 15.8% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Puerto Rico

$65 3.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 31.9% $21

Getting Around

Puerto Rico

$52 3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 12.9% $6.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $908 in Puerto Rico and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $61.0 in Puerto Rico vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $332 vs $405 per month, with Puerto Rico cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇪🇸 Puerto Rico

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:31 8:31 PM

14:31 2:31 PM

6 h behind Puerto Rico

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

2,500

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Puerto Rico Austin, TX 7,790 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight

From you

Puerto Rico
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

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

Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,594 in Puerto Rico 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: $908 in Puerto Rico versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,730 per month in Puerto Rico versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 54% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Puerto Rico runs roughly 27% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,730 in Puerto Rico versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Puerto Rico but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Puerto Rico 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, Puerto Rico 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 Puerto Rico 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.