Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Aktau

For one person, living is cheaper in Aktau: $793 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
39

Cost of Living Index in Aktau
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Aktau Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Aktau

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Aktau

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Aktau actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $793 in Aktau, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Aktau $793

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,317 in Aktau, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Aktau $1,317

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,842 in Aktau, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Aktau $1,842

Austin, TX costs about 236% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Austin, TX sits 97% above the global median, while Aktau is 41% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.07 ₸5,005

87.62%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$43.55 ₸19.7K

94.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.17 ₸4,596

21.14%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.49 ₸1,128

126.10%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.74 ₸333

402.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.48 ₸219

420.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.30 ₸586

519.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.53 ₸690

488.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.41 ₸638

-20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.47 ₸211

697.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.91 ₸864

70.68%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.73 ₸783

141.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.87 ₸4,463

30.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.24 ₸1,915

233.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.95 ₸4,044

81.23%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.53 ₸689

183.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.24 ₸1,013

-34.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.35 ₸1,064

91.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.80 ₸1,264

55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.65 ₸295

296.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.56 ₸254

319.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.55 ₸700

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.94 ₸424

136.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.59 ₸1,172

281.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.54 ₸4,313

58.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.72 ₸326

305.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$0.87 ₸393

297.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.18 ₸82.6

727.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.13 ₸512

141.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.64 ₸290

159.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.63 ₸283

50.79%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.4K ₸14.2M

-13.85%

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

$229 $229

$45.69 ₸20.7K

401.18%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.94 ₸3,587

647.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$11.01 ₸4,979

534.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.98 ₸16.3K

59.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.18 ₸1,437

349.06%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$143 ₸64.8K

950.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,621 ₸1.2M

718.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$66.8 ₸30.2K

-20.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.67 ₸18.4K

7.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$71.7 ₸32.4K

18.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$89.6 ₸40.5K

14.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$330 ₸149.2K

477.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$196 ₸88.6K

549.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$551 ₸249.0K

565.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$393 ₸177.8K

545.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$813 ₸367.6K

836.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$659 ₸297.7K

379.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$564 ₸254.8K

808.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-51.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Aktau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Aktau

$196 24.7% 84.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Aktau

$200 25.3% 50.5% $204

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Aktau

$65 8.2% 82% $294

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Aktau

$163 20.6% 53.8% $190

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Aktau

$121 15.3% 5.5% $7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Aktau

$42 5.3% 50.6% $43

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Aktau

$5.1 * 0.6% 91.4% $54

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $330 in Aktau. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 808% higher in Austin, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $44.00 in Aktau. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $200 – making Aktau the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇿 Aktau

🕒 Local time

06:50 6:50 AM

16:50 4:50 PM

10 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

273,830

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

KZT to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Aktau 11,210 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Aktau

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

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

Austin, TX costs about 236% more than Aktau, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $1,189 in Aktau. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aktau, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX and $44.00 in Aktau. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 102% more in Austin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A $1,000 monthly budget goes further in Aktau, where all-in costs run around $793, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Aktau it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aktau – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aktau. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.