Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alexandria

For one person, living is cheaper in Alexandria: $859 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,600 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
42

Cost of Living Index in Alexandria
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Alexandria Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Alexandria

🇷🇴 Romania

$859

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Alexandria actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $859 in Alexandria.

Austin, TX $2,663
Alexandria $859

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,320 in Alexandria.

Austin, TX $4,133
Alexandria $1,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,781 in Alexandria.

Austin, TX $5,603
Alexandria $1,781

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 210% more expensive than in Alexandria, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Alexandria is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.30 RON 39.26

150.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$30.10 RON 142

181.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.24 RON 34.24

70.17%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.62 RON 7.68

247.53%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.76 RON 8.34

111.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.49 RON 7.03

67.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.11 RON 9.99

281.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.46 RON 11.66

266.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.39 RON 6.56

-19.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.80 RON 3.78

368.75%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.10 RON 5.21

196.36%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.16 RON 10.23

93.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$4.98 RON 23.57

159.04%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.30 RON 20.35

229.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.67 RON 36.31

111.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.88 RON 4.16

392.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.18 RON 5.57

23.73%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.98 RON 4.61

360.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.98 RON 4.62

342.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.70 RON 3.33

268.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.61 RON 2.87

285.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.72 RON 3.40

147.22%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.86 RON 4.06

158.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.43 RON 25.69

81.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.15 RON 24.38

192.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.92 RON 4.34

217.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.08 RON 5.10

220.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.60 RON 2.86

148.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$42.28 RON 200

-1.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.44 RON 2.07

520.45%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.40 RON 1.91

315.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.49 RON 25.97

542.99%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.72 RON 8.14

-44.77%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$16.1K RON 76.2K

123.85%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.1K RON 109.4K

17.10%

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

$229 $229

$115 RON 545

98.78%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.18 RON 24.53

1046.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$7.60 RON 35.96

819.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$58.6 RON 277

-2.24%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.59 RON 116

-33.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.36 RON 30.10

124.53%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$308 RON 1,459

388.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,663 RON 31.5K

222.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$51.7 RON 245

2.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$22.37 RON 106

95.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$63.2 RON 299

34.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$64.0 RON 303

61.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$319 RON 1,511

497.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$238 RON 1,127

434.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$577 RON 2,731

534.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$419 RON 1,981

506.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,235 RON 5,842

516.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$778 RON 3,679

306.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$844 RON 3,995

506.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.73

0.89%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Alexandria: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Alexandria

$238 27.7% 81.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Alexandria

$148 17.2% 63.4% $256

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Alexandria

$128 14.9% 64.3% $230

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Alexandria

$136 15.8% 61.6% $218

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Alexandria

$91 10.5% 29.2% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Alexandria

$71 8.3% 16.9% $15

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Alexandria

$47 5.5% 19.7% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $319 in Alexandria. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 506% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $30.00 in Alexandria for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $148 per month, with Alexandria cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Alexandria

🕒 Local time

19:54 7:54 PM

03:54 3:54 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

45,434

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Alexandria 9,940 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Alexandria

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 Alexandria: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Alexandria wins on cost – living expenses run 210% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alexandria the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 506% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $319 in Alexandria. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $859 in Alexandria – a 210% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Alexandria runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $859 in Alexandria versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Alexandria but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Alexandria 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 Alexandria gentler on the wallet – expenses run 210% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.