Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tapachula and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Tapachula: $1,164 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

54

Cost of Living Index in Tapachula
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Tapachula Living Index
129

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

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Tapachula

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,164

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,164 in Tapachula versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Tapachula $1,164
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,828 in Tapachula versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Tapachula $1,828
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,493 in Tapachula versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Tapachula $2,493
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Tapachula costs roughly 57% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Tapachula is 14% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.44 MX$193

$20.63 $20.63

-49.39%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$40.58 MX$750

$84.6 $84.6

-52.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.90 MX$146

$12.07 $12.07

-34.55%

Cappuccino

$3.71 MX$68.6

$5.48 $5.48

-32.30%

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

$1.27 MX$23.45

$3.80 $3.80

-66.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.16 MX$21.35

$2.47 $2.47

-53.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.41 MX$44.58

$8.05 $8.05

-70.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.75 MX$69.3

$8.88 $8.88

-57.77%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 MX$28.77

$1.11 $1.11

40.54%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 MX$49.05

$3.72 $3.72

-28.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.62 MX$29.96

$3.37 $3.37

-51.93%

Eggs

$2.43 MX$44.94

$4.32 $4.32

-43.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.09 MX$149

$13.13 $13.13

-38.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.32 MX$154

$14.15 $14.15

-41.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.49 MX$212

$16.33 $16.33

-29.64%

Apples (1kg)

$2.31 MX$42.72

$4.55 $4.55

-49.23%

Banana (1kg)

$1.58 MX$29.23

$1.46 $1.46

8.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.08 MX$38.50

$4.71 $4.71

-55.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.83 MX$33.81

$4.15 $4.15

-55.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.89 MX$34.94

$2.58 $2.58

-26.74%

Onion (1kg)

$1.81 MX$33.37

$2.35 $2.35

-22.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 MX$29.91

$1.77 $1.77

-8.47%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MX$20.12

$2.14 $2.14

-49.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.27 MX$79.0

$10.10 $10.10

-57.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$9.18 MX$170

$15.19 $15.19

-39.57%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.71 MX$31.66

$2.82 $2.82

-39.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.05 MX$56.4

$3.44 $3.44

-11.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.61 MX$11.19

$1.54 $1.54

-60.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.66 MX$49.11

$2.80 $2.80

-5.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.70 MX$31.45

$1.60 $1.60

6.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.99 MX$185

$34.34 $34.34

-70.91%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.34 MX$24.73

$0.94 $0.94

42.55%

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

$25.3K MX$467.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-25.62%

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

$23.0K MX$424.7K

$26.8K $26.8K

-14.13%

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

$54.4 MX$1,006

$223 $223

-75.55%

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

$23.70 MX$438

$58.9 $58.9

-59.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.93 MX$498

$70.6 $70.6

-61.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.17 MX$687

$57.7 $57.7

-35.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.73 MX$346

$16.53 $16.53

13.31%

Cinema Ticket

$5.01 MX$92.6

$14.26 $14.26

-64.87%

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

$245 MX$4,528

$1,511 $1,511

-83.78%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,825 MX$89.2K

$20.9K $20.9K

-76.90%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 MX$1,060

$51.3 $51.3

11.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.06 MX$759

$44.17 $44.17

-7.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.5 MX$1,820

$87.0 $87.0

13.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$91.8 MX$1,696

$104 $104

-12.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MX$12.4K

$1,940 $1,940

-65.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$428 MX$7,904

$1,316 $1,316

-67.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,080 MX$20.0K

$3,664 $3,664

-70.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$770 MX$14.2K

$2,565 $2,565

-69.98%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,952 MX$36.1K

$7,354 $7,354

-73.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,087 MX$20.1K

$3,129 $3,129

-65.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

11.3

6.79

66.42%

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

Last update for Tapachula: October 18, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tapachula

$428 36.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 208% $889

Groceries & Markets

Tapachula

$259 22.3%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 56.7% $147

Eating Out

Tapachula

$181 15.6%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 93.4% $169

Clothing & Footwear

Tapachula

$130 11.2%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 0.7% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tapachula

$105 9%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 235% $247

Sport & Entertainment

Tapachula

$47 4.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 82.7% $39

Getting Around

Tapachula

$14 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 326% $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 $673 in Tapachula and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Tapachula vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $259 vs $406 per month, with Tapachula cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Tapachula

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:55 4:55 AM

05:55 5:55 AM

1 h ahead of Tapachula

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

217,550

974,447

💱 Currency

Mexican Peso MXN $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MXN = 5.41 USD

100 MXN = 4.81 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MXN – Mexican Peso Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇽 Mexican Peso ($)

Mexican Peso exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 18.48 MXN (100 MXN = 5.41 USD). 1 EUR = 20.77 MXN (100 MXN = 4.81 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MXN in detail →

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Between locations

Tapachula Austin, TX 1,800 km ≈ 2 h 45 min nonstop flight

From you

Tapachula
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

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

Tapachula wins on cost – living expenses run 132% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tapachula the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,745 in Tapachula 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $673 in Tapachula versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $245 in Tapachula 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 Tapachula – a meal for two runs $41.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,164 in Tapachula versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Tapachula but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tapachula 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 Tapachula gentler on the wallet – expenses run 132% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.