Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bistrita

For one person, living is cheaper in Bistrita: $845 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,800 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Bistrita
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Bistrita Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bistrita

🇷🇴 Romania

$845

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $845 in Bistrita.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bistrita $845

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,288 in Bistrita.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bistrita $1,288

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,730 in Bistrita.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bistrita $1,730

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 215% more expensive than in Bistrita, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Bistrita is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.22 RON 29.44

233.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$31.58 RON 149

167.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.19 RON 29.28

99.03%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.23 RON 10.55

152.47%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.56 RON 7.38

138.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.37 RON 6.47

82.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.13 RON 10.06

277.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.19 RON 15.09

182.45%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.23 RON 5.82

-8.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.05 RON 4.95

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.04 RON 4.90

213.46%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.67 RON 12.62

56.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.36 RON 30.08

102.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.23 RON 29.47

127.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.19 RON 53.0

44.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.87 RON 4.12

397.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 RON 6.88

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.60 RON 7.57

181.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.07 RON 9.78

109.66%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.80 RON 3.80

222.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.65 RON 3.06

261.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.06 RON 5.02

67.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.68 RON 3.20

226.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.48 RON 25.92

80.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.15 RON 24.35

192.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.91 RON 4.30

220.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.08 RON 5.11

220.37%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.40 RON 1.90

272.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$21.19 RON 100

96.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.76 RON 3.58

259.21%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.75 RON 3.55

121.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.37 RON 34.88

378.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.54 RON 7.29

-38.31%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.3K RON 129.0K

32.17%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.1K RON 114.2K

12.17%

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

$229 $229

$172 RON 812

33.44%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.53 RON 26.16

973.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$5.82 RON 27.54

1101.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.75 RON 188

44.00%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$30.96 RON 146

-47.25%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.20 RON 29.33

130.32%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$314 RON 1,485

379.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,963 RON 42.4K

139.40%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$37.77 RON 179

39.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$26.48 RON 125

65.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$62.4 RON 295

35.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$72.6 RON 343

41.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$223 RON 1,055

755.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$185 RON 875

588.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$395 RON 1,868

827.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$315 RON 1,490

705.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,510 RON 7,146

404.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,175 RON 5,558

168.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,016 RON 4,805

404.23%

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 Bistrita: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bistrita

$185 21.9% 85.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bistrita

$184 21.8% 54.5% $220

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bistrita

$183 21.7% 48.9% $175

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bistrita

$124 14.7% 65% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bistrita

$90 10.6% 30% $38

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bistrita

$52 6.2% 39.2% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bistrita

$27 3.2% 53.5% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $223 in Bistrita. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 404% 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 $32.00 in Bistrita for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $184 per month, with Bistrita cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Bistrita

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

22:03 10:03 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

75,076

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 = 0.889 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 Bistrita 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bistrita

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 Bistrita: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bistrita wins on cost – living expenses run 215% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bistrita the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 404% 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 $223 in Bistrita. 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 $845 in Bistrita – a 215% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bistrita runs roughly 97% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $845 in Bistrita versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Bistrita but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bistrita 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 Bistrita 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 Bistrita gentler on the wallet – expenses run 215% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.