Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Barlad

For one person, living is cheaper in Barlad: $975 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
47

Cost of Living Index in Barlad
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Barlad Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Barlad

🇷🇴 Romania

$975

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $975 in Barlad.

Austin, TX $2,698
Barlad $975

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,521 in Barlad.

Austin, TX $4,160
Barlad $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,066 in Barlad.

Austin, TX $5,622
Barlad $2,066

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 177% more expensive than in Barlad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Barlad is 28% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$8.96 RON 42.41

130.25%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$41.38 RON 196

104.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.20 RON 34.06

67.64%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.41 RON 11.40

127.39%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.85 RON 8.75

105.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$1.54 RON 7.27

60.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.17 RON 10.25

270.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.69 RON 12.72

230.11%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.34 RON 6.34

-17.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.12 RON 5.31

232.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.40 RON 6.63

140.71%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.39 RON 16.02

27.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$7.51 RON 35.53

74.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$5.22 RON 24.69

171.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.04 RON 47.49

62.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.04 RON 4.92

337.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 RON 7.73

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.38 RON 6.54

241.30%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.76 RON 8.31

135.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.79 RON 3.75

226.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.77 RON 3.65

205.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.84 RON 3.99

110.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.89 RON 4.20

140.45%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$6.64 RON 31.41

52.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$5.58 RON 26.38

172.22%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.20 RON 5.68

135.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.62 RON 7.67

112.35%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.51 RON 2.40

201.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$19.88 RON 94.0

106.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.72 RON 3.42

288.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.73 RON 3.46

119.18%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$6.99 RON 33.08

391.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.75 RON 8.30

-46.29%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.5K RON 125.3K

28.26%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$25.1K RON 118.7K

6.72%

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

$223 $223

$158 RON 748

40.86%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$8.87 RON 41.95

564.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$8.36 RON 39.58

744.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$34.02 RON 161

69.61%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$18.05 RON 85.4

-8.42%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$6.61 RON 31.28

115.73%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$465 RON 2,202

224.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$7,715 RON 36.5K

170.78%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$62.0 RON 293

-17.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$34.81 RON 165

26.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$72.7 RON 344

19.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$86.2 RON 408

21.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$407 RON 1,927

376.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$269 RON 1,271

389.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$651 RON 3,081

462.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$505 RON 2,387

408.49%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,755 RON 8,305

318.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,263 RON 5,976

147.73%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

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 19, 2026

Last update for Barlad: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Barlad

$269 27.6% 79.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Barlad

$190 19.5% 53.2% $216

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Barlad

$175 18% 50.2% $177

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Barlad

$152 15.6% 56.6% $198

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Barlad

$115 11.8% 10.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Barlad

$47 4.9% 45.2% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Barlad

$26 2.7% 54.6% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $407 in Barlad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $41.00 in Barlad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $190 per month, with Barlad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Barlad

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

01:17 1:17 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

77,518

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Barlad 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Barlad

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 Barlad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Barlad wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barlad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,462 in Barlad to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $407 in Barlad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $975 in Barlad – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Barlad runs roughly 106% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $975 in Barlad versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barlad but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Barlad 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 Barlad 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 Barlad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.