Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Braila

For one person, living is cheaper in Braila: $1,141 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
55

Cost of Living Index in Braila
Learn more

Braila Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Braila

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,141

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,141 in Braila.

Austin, TX $2,663
Braila $1,141

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,727 in Braila.

Austin, TX $4,133
Braila $1,727

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,312 in Braila.

Austin, TX $5,603
Braila $2,312

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 133% more expensive than in Braila, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Braila is 15% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$18.87 RON 89.3

10.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$39.78 RON 188

112.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.13 RON 43.21

34.94%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.60 RON 12.29

116.54%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.99 RON 9.41

86.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.74 RON 8.25

43.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.64 RON 7.76

390.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.05 RON 9.72

339.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.80 RON 8.51

-37.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.40 RON 6.65

167.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.44 RON 6.82

126.39%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.33 RON 15.76

25.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.29 RON 39.22

55.61%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.41 RON 35.08

91.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.19 RON 43.48

76.50%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.02 RON 4.82

324.51%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.40 RON 6.63

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.36 RON 6.46

231.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.19 RON 5.63

264.71%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.83 RON 3.95

210.84%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.78 RON 3.69

201.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.68 RON 3.22

161.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.83 RON 3.92

167.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.23 RON 29.49

58.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.94 RON 28.13

153.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.02 RON 4.84

186.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.58 RON 7.45

118.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.61 RON 2.89

144.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$15.81 RON 74.8

163.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.04 RON 4.90

162.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.74 RON 3.49

124.32%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.75 RON 31.95

422.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.60 RON 7.55

-40.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.4K RON 125.0K

36.41%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$29.4K RON 139.0K

-7.82%

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

$229 $229

$140 RON 660

64.03%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.40 RON 39.74

607.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$13.05 RON 61.7

435.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$32.07 RON 152

78.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.71 RON 69.6

11.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.41 RON 35.04

92.71%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$358 RON 1,696

320.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,366 RON 39.6K

156.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$100 RON 475

-47.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$59.2 RON 280

-25.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$90.6 RON 429

-6.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$125 RON 589

-17.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$377 RON 1,785

405.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$303 RON 1,432

320.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$551 RON 2,606

565.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$448 RON 2,118

466.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,917 RON 9,068

297.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,300 RON 6,153

142.78%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$847 RON 4,005

504.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.3

-18.19%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Braila: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Braila

$303 26.5% 76.2% $971

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Braila

$202 17.7% 50% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Braila

$161 14.1% 55.1% $197

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Braila

$237 20.8% 33.1% $117

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Braila

$169 14.8% 31.7% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Braila

$47 4.1% 45.4% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Braila

$23 2% 60.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $377 in Braila. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 505% 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 $40.00 in Braila for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $202 per month, with Braila cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Braila

🕒 Local time

21:29 9:29 PM

05:29 5:29 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

180,302

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Braila 9,990 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Braila

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 Braila: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Braila wins on cost – living expenses run 133% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Braila the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 505% 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 $377 in Braila. 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 $1,141 in Braila – a 133% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Braila runs roughly 164% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,141 in Braila versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Braila but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Braila 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 Braila gentler on the wallet – expenses run 133% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.