Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tamarindo and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Tamarindo: $2,127 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

103

Cost of Living Index in Tamarindo
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Tamarindo Living Index
130

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

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Tamarindo

🇨🇷 Costa Rica

$2,127

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,127 in Tamarindo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Tamarindo $2,127
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,081 in Tamarindo versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Tamarindo $3,081
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,035 in Tamarindo versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Tamarindo $4,035
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Tamarindo costs roughly 20% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Tamarindo 58% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$12.18 ₡5,463

$20.77 $20.77

-41.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.3 ₡28.0K

$84.6 $84.6

-26.32%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.87 ₡5,324

$12.32 $12.32

-3.65%

Cappuccino

$4.34 ₡1,948

$5.63 $5.63

-22.91%

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

$2.65 ₡1,188

$3.72 $3.72

-28.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.91 ₡856

$2.50 $2.50

-23.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.27 ₡1,465

$8.05 $8.05

-59.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.56 ₡2,043

$9.01 $9.01

-49.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.42 ₡1,085

$1.12 $1.12

116.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.12 ₡1,400

$3.75 $3.75

-16.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 ₡1,088

$3.26 $3.26

-25.77%

Eggs

$3.47 ₡1,556

$4.17 $4.17

-16.79%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.53 ₡4,721

$12.90 $12.90

-18.37%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.52 ₡4,716

$14.16 $14.16

-25.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.17 ₡6,354

$16.22 $16.22

-12.64%

Apples (1kg)

$5.21 ₡2,336

$4.33 $4.33

20.32%

Banana (1kg)

$1.60 ₡717

$1.46 $1.46

9.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 ₡1,588

$4.51 $4.51

-21.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.90 ₡1,747

$4.34 $4.34

-10.14%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 ₡1,141

$2.58 $2.58

-1.16%

Onion (1kg)

$3.71 ₡1,665

$2.35 $2.35

57.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.09 ₡487

$1.78 $1.78

-38.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 ₡1,376

$2.22 $2.22

38.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.20 ₡2,331

$9.88 $9.88

-47.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.18 ₡5,912

$15.08 $15.08

-12.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 ₡1,249

$2.92 $2.92

-4.79%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.09 ₡1,385

$3.46 $3.46

-10.69%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.07 ₡929

$1.49 $1.49

38.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$85.4 ₡38.3K

$41.72 $41.72

104.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.38 ₡1,065

$2.73 $2.73

-12.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 ₡729

$1.66 $1.66

-1.81%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.64 ₡2,978

$35.30 $35.30

-81.19%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.50 ₡675

$0.95 $0.95

57.89%

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

$22.4K ₡10.0M

$36.0K $36.0K

-37.96%

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

$34.7K ₡15.6M

$27.1K $27.1K

28.22%

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

$93.5 ₡41.9K

$229 $229

-59.15%

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

$30.01 ₡13.5K

$59.4 $59.4

-49.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$59.1 ₡26.5K

$69.9 $69.9

-15.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$101 ₡45.3K

$57.2 $57.2

76.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.01 ₡11.7K

$16.33 $16.33

59.28%

Cinema Ticket

$7.90 ₡3,543

$14.28 $14.28

-44.68%

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

$575 ₡257.7K

$1,506 $1,506

-61.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,081 ₡4.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

-57.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.5 ₡32.1K

$52.8 $52.8

35.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$26.29 ₡11.8K

$43.82 $43.82

-40.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$120 ₡53.7K

$84.8 $84.8

41.16%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 ₡58.9K

$103 $103

27.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,921 ₡861.5K

$1,907 $1,907

0.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$960 ₡430.6K

$1,274 $1,274

-24.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,738 ₡1.2M

$3,664 $3,664

-25.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,371 ₡614.9K

$2,538 $2,538

-45.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,341 ₡2.4M

$7,614 $7,614

-29.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,241 ₡1.5M

$3,157 $3,157

2.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$949 ₡425.7K

$5,121 $5,121

-81.46%

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 Tamarindo: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tamarindo

$960 45.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 32.7% $314

Groceries & Markets

Tamarindo

$378 17.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 7.1% $27

Eating Out

Tamarindo

$229 10.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 54.6% $125

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tamarindo

$183 8.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 96.2% $176

Clothing & Footwear

Tamarindo

$157 7.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 18.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Tamarindo

$117 5.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 26.6% $31

Getting Around

Tamarindo

$104 4.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 43.6% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,921 in Tamarindo and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 439% 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: $62.0 in Tamarindo vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $378 vs $405 per month, with Tamarindo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇷 Tamarindo

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:24 5:24 PM

18:24 6:24 PM

1 h ahead of Tamarindo

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

6,000

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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CRC in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Tamarindo Austin, TX 2,540 km ≈ 3 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tamarindo
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

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

Tamarindo wins on cost – living expenses run 25% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tamarindo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 439% 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: $1,921 in Tamarindo 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 $2,127 per month in Tamarindo versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tamarindo runs roughly 105% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $3,000. Tamarindo is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Tamarindo delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,127 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Tamarindo hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Tamarindo 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 Tamarindo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 25% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.