Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Buon Ma Thuot

For one person, living is cheaper in Buon Ma Thuot: $757 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,900 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Buon Ma Thuot
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Buon Ma Thuot Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Buon Ma Thuot

🇻🇳 Vietnam

$757

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Buon Ma Thuot

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 Buon Ma Thuot actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $757 in Buon Ma Thuot.

Austin, TX $2,663
Buon Ma Thuot $757

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,197 in Buon Ma Thuot.

Austin, TX $4,133
Buon Ma Thuot $1,197

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,637 in Buon Ma Thuot.

Austin, TX $5,603
Buon Ma Thuot $1,637

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 252% more expensive than in Buon Ma Thuot, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Buon Ma Thuot is 44% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.03 ₫52.6K

923.15%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$11.39 ₫294.9K

642.67%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.31 ₫111.5K

185.85%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.00 ₫25.8K

463.00%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.36 ₫9,357

933.33%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.33 ₫8,617

657.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.28 ₫33.2K

528.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.30 ₫33.6K

593.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.48 ₫38.4K

-24.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.10 ₫28.4K

240.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.99 ₫25.7K

229.29%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.53 ₫39.6K

172.55%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.17 ₫289.3K

15.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.81 ₫98.6K

271.65%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.04 ₫260.0K

61.55%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.07 ₫79.5K

41.04%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.09 ₫28.1K

33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.30 ₫33.7K

246.92%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.22 ₫31.7K

255.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.03 ₫26.8K

150.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.11 ₫28.7K

111.71%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.64 ₫16.6K

178.13%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.55 ₫14.1K

303.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.37 ₫35.6K

621.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.95 ₫309.3K

26.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.88 ₫22.8K

231.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.63 ₫42.3K

112.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.32 ₫8,256

365.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$6.68 ₫172.9K

524.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.77 ₫19.9K

254.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.55 ₫14.3K

201.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.42 ₫62.7K

1358.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.90 ₫23.2K

5.56%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.7K ₫795.2M

17.36%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.3K ₫784.4M

-10.65%

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

$229 $229

$75.7 ₫2.0M

202.46%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.69 ₫147.2K

943.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$8.71 ₫225.4K

702.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$21.98 ₫568.9K

160.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.82 ₫202.4K

108.82%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.01 ₫77.9K

374.42%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$162 ₫4.2M

831.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.2K ₫316.4M

75.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$45.58 ₫1.2M

15.86%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$26.78 ₫693.3K

63.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$84.6 ₫2.2M

0.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$78.5 ₫2.0M

31.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$414 ₫10.7M

360.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$271 ₫7.0M

369.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$754 ₫19.5M

385.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$605 ₫15.7M

319.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,867 ₫74.2M

165.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,326 ₫34.3M

138.02%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

8.46

-19.74%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Buon Ma Thuot: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Buon Ma Thuot

$271 35.8% 78.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Buon Ma Thuot

$198 26.1% 51.1% $207

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Buon Ma Thuot

$90 11.9% 74.9% $268

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Buon Ma Thuot

$53 7% 85% $301

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Buon Ma Thuot

$106 14% 17.2% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Buon Ma Thuot

$28 3.7% 67.4% $58

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Buon Ma Thuot

$11 1.5% 80.4% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $414 in Buon Ma Thuot. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $11.00 in Buon Ma Thuot for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $198 per month, with Buon Ma Thuot cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇻🇳 Buon Ma Thuot

🕒 Local time

10:05 10:05 AM

22:05 10:05 PM

12 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

245,951

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Vietnamese Dong VND ₫

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100,000 VND = 3.86 USD

100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

VND, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇻🇳 Vietnamese Dong (₫)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Vietnamese Dong exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 25,889 VND (100,000 VND = 3.86 USD). 1 EUR = 29,105 VND (100,000 VND = 3.44 EUR).

VND to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Buon Ma Thuot 14,500 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Buon Ma Thuot

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 Buon Ma Thuot: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Buon Ma Thuot wins on cost – living expenses run 252% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buon Ma Thuot the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,136 in Buon Ma Thuot 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $414 in Buon Ma Thuot. 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 $757 in Buon Ma Thuot – a 252% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Buon Ma Thuot runs roughly 525% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $757 in Buon Ma Thuot versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Buon Ma Thuot but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Buon Ma Thuot 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 Buon Ma Thuot 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 Buon Ma Thuot gentler on the wallet – expenses run 252% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.