Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Balikpapan

For one person, living is cheaper in Balikpapan: $668 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,900 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
32

Cost of Living Index in Balikpapan
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Balikpapan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Balikpapan

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $668 in Balikpapan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Balikpapan $668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,048 in Balikpapan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Balikpapan $1,048

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,428 in Balikpapan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Balikpapan $1,428

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 299% more expensive than in Balikpapan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Balikpapan is 51% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

1394.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$10.95 Rp 197.1K

672.51%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.05 Rp 55.0K

303.93%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.36 Rp 24.5K

313.97%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.37 Rp 6,712

905.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.38 Rp 6,871

557.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.25 Rp 40.4K

257.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.33 Rp 59.9K

170.57%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.13 Rp 20.3K

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.07 Rp 19.2K

250.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.16 Rp 20.8K

181.03%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.54 Rp 45.8K

64.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.38 Rp 132.8K

74.80%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$2.92 Rp 52.6K

384.93%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.04 Rp 144.7K

101.74%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.25 Rp 40.5K

92.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.30 Rp 23.4K

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.76 Rp 31.7K

156.25%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

241.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.26 Rp 22.7K

104.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.90 Rp 34.2K

23.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

128.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.72 Rp 13.0K

208.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.89 Rp 34.0K

422.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$20.83 Rp 374.9K

-27.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.87 Rp 33.7K

56.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.02 Rp 54.3K

14.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.29 Rp 5,219

413.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.15 Rp 20.7K

137.39%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.38 Rp 6,777

336.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.59 Rp 46.7K

1262.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.77 Rp 13.8K

23.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$23.4K Rp 420.6M

54.28%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$31.0K Rp 558.8M

-12.79%

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

$229 $229

$67.5 Rp 1.2M

239.34%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$4.36 Rp 78.4K

1262.16%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$29.86 Rp 537.4K

134.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$23.74 Rp 427.4K

141.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$8.46 Rp 152.2K

93.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.84 Rp 51.1K

402.82%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$93.1 Rp 1.7M

1516.95%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,570 Rp 154.3M

150.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$38.14 Rp 686.6K

38.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$18.66 Rp 335.9K

134.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$141 Rp 2.5M

-39.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.9 Rp 1.3M

45.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$203 Rp 3.7M

839.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$148 Rp 2.7M

762.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$537 Rp 9.7M

581.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$361 Rp 6.5M

603.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,258 Rp 22.6M

505.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$818 Rp 14.7M

285.99%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$238 Rp 4.3M

2053.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

9.46

-28.22%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Balikpapan: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Balikpapan

$148 22.1% 88.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Balikpapan

$206 30.9% 49% $198

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Balikpapan

$102 15.2% 71.6% $257

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Balikpapan

$57 8.6% 83.8% $296

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Balikpapan

$121 18.1% 5.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Balikpapan

$29 4.4% 65.7% $56

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Balikpapan

$4.2 * 0.6% 92.9% $55

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $203 in Balikpapan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2053% 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 $11.00 in Balikpapan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $206 per month, with Balikpapan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇩 Balikpapan

🕒 Local time

02:10 2:10 AM

15:10 3:10 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

701,066

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IDR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

IDR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Balikpapan 15,140 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Balikpapan

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 Balikpapan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balikpapan wins on cost – living expenses run 299% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Balikpapan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2053% 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 $203 in Balikpapan. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $93.1 in Balikpapan. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Balikpapan – a meal for two runs $11.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $668 in Balikpapan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Balikpapan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Balikpapan 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 Balikpapan 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 Balikpapan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 299% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.