Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bacau

For one person, living is cheaper in Bacau: $913 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Bacau
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Bacau Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bacau

🇷🇴 Romania

$913

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $913 in Bacau.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bacau $913

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,548 in Bacau.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bacau $1,548

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,182 in Bacau.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bacau $2,182

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 192% more expensive than in Bacau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Bacau is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$14.05 RON 66.5

47.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$85.1 RON 402

-0.56%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.39 RON 34.96

66.71%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.98 RON 9.37

184.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.94 RON 9.16

91.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.90 RON 8.97

31.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.48 RON 11.75

224.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.16 RON 14.96

185.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.22 RON 5.76

-8.20%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.65 RON 3.09

476.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.64 RON 7.74

98.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.39 RON 16.03

23.01%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.79 RON 36.87

65.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.43 RON 25.67

160.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.42 RON 39.86

92.64%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.14 RON 5.41

279.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.49 RON 7.06

-2.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.55 RON 7.32

190.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.74 RON 8.24

149.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.72 RON 3.43

258.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.65 RON 3.07

261.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.76 RON 3.59

134.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.68 RON 3.23

226.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.47 RON 25.87

80.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.08 RON 24.02

196.85%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.94 RON 4.46

210.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.22 RON 5.78

183.61%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.74 RON 3.51

101.35%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$29.14 RON 138

43.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.62 RON 2.92

340.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.67 RON 3.17

147.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.08 RON 33.51

398.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.80 RON 8.50

-47.22%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.9K RON 136.6K

24.86%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.9K RON 117.9K

8.69%

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

$229 $229

$106 RON 502

115.72%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.51 RON 35.53

690.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$4.83 RON 22.86

1347.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$25.72 RON 122

122.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.83 RON 74.9

3.16%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.44 RON 30.45

121.74%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$591 RON 2,794

155.01%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,858 RON 23.0K

341.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$82.9 RON 392

-36.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$31.49 RON 149

39.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$59.6 RON 282

42.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.6 RON 395

23.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$400 RON 1,891

377.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$235 RON 1,113

441.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$546 RON 2,584

571.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$399 RON 1,889

535.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,818 RON 8,604

318.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,199 RON 5,673

163.30%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$933 RON 4,415

448.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.97

-2.58%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bacau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bacau

$235 25.8% 81.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bacau

$176 19.3% 56.5% $228

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bacau

$118 13% 66.9% $240

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bacau

$192 21.1% 45.6% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bacau

$116 12.7% 9.5% $12

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bacau

$39 4.2% 55% $47

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bacau

$36 4% 38.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $400 in Bacau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 449% 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 $85.0 in Bacau. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $176, with Bacau cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Bacau

🕒 Local time

16:32 4:32 PM

00:32 12:32 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

144,307

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

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Bacau 9,830 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bacau

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 Bacau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bacau wins on cost – living expenses run 192% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bacau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 449% 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 $400 in Bacau. 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 $913 in Bacau – a 192% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bacau runs roughly 43% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $913 in Bacau versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Bacau but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bacau 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Bacau 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 Bacau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 192% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.