Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Brasov

For one person, living is cheaper in Brasov: $1,314 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,700 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
63

Cost of Living Index in Brasov
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Brasov Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Brasov

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,314

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,314 in Brasov.

Austin, TX $2,704
Brasov $1,314

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,128 in Brasov.

Austin, TX $4,133
Brasov $2,128

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,943 in Brasov.

Austin, TX $5,562
Brasov $2,943

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 106% more expensive than in Brasov, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Brasov is 2% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.01 RON 52.1

83.65%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$51.8 RON 245

64.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.53 RON 35.61

64.01%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.70 RON 17.48

47.84%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.36 RON 11.15

61.86%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.13 RON 10.10

17.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.19 RON 15.07

152.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.31 RON 15.64

171.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.57 RON 7.43

-28.03%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.43 RON 6.78

164.34%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.77 RON 8.39

83.62%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.51 RON 16.58

17.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.78 RON 41.51

48.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.87 RON 32.48

108.30%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$12.79 RON 60.5

24.78%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.46 RON 6.91

200.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 RON 7.14

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.66 RON 7.85

173.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.75 RON 13.01

52.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.77 RON 3.62

241.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.92 RON 4.35

156.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.89 RON 4.19

97.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.76 RON 3.58

184.21%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.03 RON 28.52

62.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.49 RON 35.42

96.53%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.24 RON 5.89

124.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.80 RON 8.53

93.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.08 RON 5.11

37.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$23.54 RON 111

72.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.66 RON 3.13

304.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.62 RON 2.95

154.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.47 RON 30.60

445.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.85 RON 8.73

-46.49%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.8K RON 136.4K

24.19%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.2K RON 123.7K

3.89%

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

$219 $219

$179 RON 846

22.62%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$7.87 RON 37.24

636.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$8.98 RON 42.50

661.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$57.5 RON 272

0.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$13.43 RON 63.5

10.35%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.57 RON 45.25

47.65%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$446 RON 2,111

238.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,960 RON 32.9K

208.29%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$51.2 RON 242

0.90%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$35.07 RON 166

25.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$75.0 RON 355

13.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$90.9 RON 430

15.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$694 RON 3,284

178.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$468 RON 2,216

171.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,297 RON 6,135

182.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,066 RON 5,042

136.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,104 RON 14.7K

145.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,401 RON 11.4K

33.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,097 RON 5,187

365.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.2

-5.69%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brasov: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Brasov

$468 35.8% 63.2% $804

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Brasov

$229 17.4% 43.3% $174

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Brasov

$196 14.9% 43.8% $152

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Brasov

$196 14.9% 43.4% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Brasov

$113 8.7% 11.9% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Brasov

$77 5.9% 11% $9.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Brasov

$32 2.4% 44.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $694 in Brasov. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 365% 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 $52.0 in Brasov for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $229 per month, with Brasov cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Brasov

🕒 Local time

00:11 12:11 AM

08:11 8:11 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

253,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Brasov

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 Brasov: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brasov wins on cost – living expenses run 106% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brasov the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 365% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $694 in Brasov. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,314 in Brasov – a 106% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Brasov runs roughly 72% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,314 in Brasov versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Brasov but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Brasov the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Brasov delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,314 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Brasov hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Brasov 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 Brasov gentler on the wallet – expenses run 106% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.