Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Buzias

For one person, living is cheaper in Buzias: $985 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Buzias
🇷🇴 Romania
$985
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $985 in Buzias.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Buzias $985

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,510 in Buzias.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Buzias $1,510

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,034 in Buzias.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Buzias $2,034

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 170% more expensive than in Buzias, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Buzias is 27% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$8.35 RON 39.52
148.74%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$41.18 RON 195
105.42%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$7.17 RON 33.92
71.83%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.12 RON 14.75
80.45%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.02 RON 9.54
84.16%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.75 RON 8.29
42.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.11 RON 14.71
158.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.88 RON 18.35
132.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.36 RON 6.43
-17.65%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.09 RON 5.15
244.04%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.35 RON 6.41
141.48%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.39 RON 16.04
23.01%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$7.73 RON 36.58
66.88%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$5.99 RON 28.36
136.39%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$8.02 RON 37.93
102.24%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.15 RON 5.46
276.52%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.55 RON 7.35
-5.81%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.46 RON 6.89
208.90%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.54 RON 12.00
70.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.66 RON 3.12
290.91%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.65 RON 3.06
261.54%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.04 RON 4.92
71.15%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.92 RON 4.33
141.30%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$5.91 RON 27.96
67.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$7.43 RON 35.15
102.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$0.97 RON 4.57
201.03%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.36 RON 6.43
154.41%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.71 RON 3.36
109.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$21.93 RON 104
90.24%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.99 RON 4.66
175.76%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.81 RON 3.84
104.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$8.30 RON 39.27
325.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.96 RON 9.26
-51.53%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$28.9K RON 136.6K
24.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$25.0K RON 118.5K
8.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$114 RON 541
100.31%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$9.00 RON 42.59
559.89%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$12.19 RON 57.7
473.50%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$37.40 RON 177
53.05%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$20.10 RON 95.1
-18.76%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$6.88 RON 32.56
107.56%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$452 RON 2,136
233.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,811 RON 32.2K
215.04%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$74.6 RON 353
-29.21%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$32.11 RON 152
36.47%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$85.6 RON 405
-0.97%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$89.8 RON 425
14.70%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$380 RON 1,798
401.78%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$283 RON 1,337
351.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$605 RON 2,862
505.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$441 RON 2,087
475.55%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,822 RON 8,619
317.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,355 RON 6,410
133.06%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Buzias
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
7.02
-3.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Buzias: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Buzias
$283 77.8% $992
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Buzias
$195 51.8% $210
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Buzias
$136 62.2% $223
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Buzias
$164 53.6% $190
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Buzias
$127 0.8% $1
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Buzias
$51 40.4% $35
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Buzias
$30 49.2% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $380 in Buzias. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $41.00 in Buzias for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $195 per month, with Buzias cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇷🇴 Buzias
🕒 Local time
16:57 4:57 PM
00:57 12:57 AM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
7,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Buzias 9,600 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Buzias

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 Buzias: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Buzias?
Buzias wins on cost – living expenses run 170% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Buzias the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Buzias?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,478 in Buzias 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Buzias?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $380 in Buzias. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Buzias?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $985 in Buzias – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Buzias?
A monthly transit pass in Buzias runs roughly 90% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Buzias?
At $985 in Buzias versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Buzias but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Buzias the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Buzias?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Buzias?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Buzias are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Buzias gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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