Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Zapopan and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Zapopan: $1,518 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

74

Cost of Living Index in Zapopan
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Zapopan Living Index
130

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

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Zapopan

🇲🇽 Mexico

$1,518

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,518 in Zapopan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Zapopan $1,518
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,203 in Zapopan versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Zapopan $2,203
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,888 in Zapopan versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Zapopan $2,888
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Zapopan costs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Zapopan 12% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.95 MX$202

$20.77 $20.77

-47.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$33.24 MX$614

$84.6 $84.6

-60.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.12 MX$205

$12.32 $12.32

-9.74%

Cappuccino

$3.76 MX$69.4

$5.63 $5.63

-33.21%

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

$1.11 MX$20.48

$3.72 $3.72

-70.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.17 MX$21.68

$2.50 $2.50

-53.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.20 MX$40.74

$8.05 $8.05

-72.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.48 MX$82.7

$9.01 $9.01

-50.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.49 MX$27.51

$1.12 $1.12

33.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.58 MX$47.70

$3.75 $3.75

-31.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.21 MX$22.28

$3.26 $3.26

-62.88%

Eggs

$2.73 MX$50.5

$4.17 $4.17

-34.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.44 MX$156

$12.90 $12.90

-34.57%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.07 MX$186

$14.16 $14.16

-28.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.14 MX$187

$16.22 $16.22

-37.48%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 MX$54.7

$4.33 $4.33

-31.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.43 MX$26.39

$1.46 $1.46

-2.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.71 MX$31.68

$4.51 $4.51

-62.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.18 MX$40.25

$4.34 $4.34

-49.77%

Potato (1kg)

$2.23 MX$41.19

$2.58 $2.58

-13.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.60 MX$48.12

$2.35 $2.35

10.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.88 MX$34.70

$1.78 $1.78

5.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 MX$22.01

$2.22 $2.22

-46.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.68 MX$105

$9.88 $9.88

-42.51%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.48 MX$120

$15.08 $15.08

-57.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 MX$33.78

$2.92 $2.92

-37.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.84 MX$52.4

$3.46 $3.46

-17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.54 MX$10.01

$1.49 $1.49

-63.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$32.31 MX$597

$41.72 $41.72

-22.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.42 MX$44.72

$2.73 $2.73

-11.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.54 MX$46.94

$1.66 $1.66

53.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.80 MX$181

$35.30 $35.30

-72.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.46 MX$26.99

$0.95 $0.95

53.68%

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

$20.9K MX$385.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-42.12%

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

$23.9K MX$441.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

-11.71%

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

$125 MX$2,301

$229 $229

-45.63%

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

$24.20 MX$447

$59.4 $59.4

-59.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$29.26 MX$541

$69.9 $69.9

-58.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$43.29 MX$800

$57.2 $57.2

-24.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$13.80 MX$255

$16.33 $16.33

-15.49%

Cinema Ticket

$5.37 MX$99.3

$14.28 $14.28

-62.39%

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

$166 MX$3,076

$1,506 $1,506

-88.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,056 MX$130.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-67.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$46.26 MX$855

$52.8 $52.8

-12.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$25.07 MX$463

$43.82 $43.82

-42.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$73.8 MX$1,364

$84.8 $84.8

-12.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$118 MX$2,184

$103 $103

14.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$969 MX$17.9K

$1,907 $1,907

-49.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$658 MX$12.2K

$1,274 $1,274

-48.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,667 MX$30.8K

$3,664 $3,664

-54.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,026 MX$19.0K

$2,538 $2,538

-59.58%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,695 MX$105.2K

$7,614 $7,614

-25.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,559 MX$28.8K

$3,157 $3,157

-50.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,013 MX$18.7K

$5,121 $5,121

-80.21%

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 Zapopan: 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

Zapopan

$658 43.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 93.7% $616

Groceries & Markets

Zapopan

$265 17.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 52.6% $139

Eating Out

Zapopan

$195 12.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 81.4% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Zapopan

$178 11.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 101% $180

Clothing & Footwear

Zapopan

$119 7.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8% $9.5

Sport & Entertainment

Zapopan

$54 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 58.8% $32

Getting Around

Zapopan

$50 3.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 18.3% $9.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $969 in Zapopan and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 405% 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: $33.00 in Zapopan vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $265 vs $405 per month, with Zapopan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇽 Zapopan

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

22:01 10:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

1 h ahead of Zapopan

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,257,547

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

USD to MXN in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Zapopan Austin, TX 1,200 km ≈ 2 h nonstop flight

From you

Zapopan
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

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

Zapopan wins on cost – living expenses run 75% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zapopan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 405% 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: $969 in Zapopan 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 $1,518 per month in Zapopan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 75% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Zapopan runs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,518 in Zapopan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Zapopan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zapopan the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Zapopan delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,518 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zapopan hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Zapopan 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 Zapopan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 75% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.