Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bucharest

For one person, living is cheaper in Bucharest: $1,351 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 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
65

Cost of Living Index in Bucharest
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Bucharest Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Bucharest

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,351

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,351 in Bucharest.

Austin, TX $2,704
Bucharest $1,351

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,033 in Bucharest.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bucharest $2,033

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,715 in Bucharest.

Austin, TX $5,562
Bucharest $2,715

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 100% more expensive than in Bucharest, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Bucharest 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$14.46 RON 68.9

39.83%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$57.7 RON 275

47.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.50 RON 35.72

64.67%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.43 RON 16.32

59.48%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.46 RON 11.72

55.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.33 RON 11.09

7.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.80 RON 18.10

112.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.10 RON 19.56

119.27%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.65 RON 7.85

-31.52%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.35 RON 6.44

180.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.78 RON 8.48

82.58%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.66 RON 17.46

13.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.57 RON 40.84

52.63%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.80 RON 32.41

110.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.72 RON 55.8

36.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.29 RON 6.16

239.53%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.56 RON 7.43

-7.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.54 RON 7.34

194.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.48 RON 11.84

68.95%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.83 RON 3.95

216.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.80 RON 3.80

195.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.84 RON 4.01

109.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.93 RON 4.42

132.26%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.44 RON 30.68

52.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.32 RON 30.13

132.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.26 RON 5.99

120.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.60 RON 7.65

117.50%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.81 RON 3.88

83.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$21.13 RON 101

91.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.60 RON 2.88

345.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.61 RON 2.93

159.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.17 RON 29.41

471.96%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.96 RON 9.34

-49.49%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.1K RON 134.2K

27.19%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.3K RON 125.3K

3.37%

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

$219 $219

$197 RON 938

11.39%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$8.34 RON 39.74

595.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$9.19 RON 43.80

643.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$49.87 RON 238

16.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$24.99 RON 119

-40.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.46 RON 40.31

67.02%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$639 RON 3,046

136.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.4K RON 68.6K

49.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$90.6 RON 432

-42.98%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$38.05 RON 181

15.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$79.7 RON 380

6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$93.2 RON 444

12.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$673 RON 3,209

186.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$449 RON 2,139

183.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,098 RON 5,234

234.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$729 RON 3,474

246.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,740 RON 17.8K

103.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,189 RON 10.4K

46.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,323 RON 6,306

285.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.74

0.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Bucharest: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Bucharest

$449 33.5% 64.7% $823

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Bucharest

$222 16.5% 45% $181

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Bucharest

$226 16.8% 35.2% $122

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Bucharest

$214 16% 38% $131

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Bucharest

$136 10.1% 5.4% $6.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Bucharest

$67 5% 22.5% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Bucharest

$28 2.1% 50.8% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $673 in Bucharest. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 286% 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 $58.0 in Bucharest for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $222 per month, with Bucharest cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Bucharest

🕒 Local time

20:38 8:38 PM

04:38 4:38 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,883,425 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 RON = 0.21 USD

1 RON = 0.187 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 = 4.77 RON (1 RON = 0.21 USD). 1 EUR = 5.35 RON (1 RON = 0.187 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bucharest 9,950 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bucharest

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 Bucharest: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bucharest wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bucharest the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 286% 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 $673 in Bucharest. 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 $1,351 in Bucharest – a 100% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bucharest runs roughly 92% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,351 in Bucharest versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Bucharest but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bucharest the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Bucharest delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,351 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Bucharest hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Bucharest gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.