Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Calarasi

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $358 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 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
35

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
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Calarasi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$358

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $358 in Calarasi.

Austin, TX $2,663
Calarasi $358

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $585 in Calarasi.

Austin, TX $4,133
Calarasi $585

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $811 in Calarasi.

Austin, TX $5,603
Calarasi $811

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 645% more expensive than in Calarasi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Calarasi is 74% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.15 MDL 198

86.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.51 MDL 400

275.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.93 MDL 123

77.78%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.42 MDL 25.19

296.48%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.75 MDL 13.24

396.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.47 MDL 8.31

431.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.09 MDL 19.42

638.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.42 MDL 25.22

534.51%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 MDL 17.59

13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.36 MDL 6.31

941.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.93 MDL 34.20

116.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 MDL 34.42

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.63 MDL 11.18

309.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.52 MDL 9.20

326.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.10 MDL 19.54

148.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.68 MDL 29.75

-43.45%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.5K MDL 364.8K

31.79%

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

$229 $229

$58.4 MDL 1,038

291.84%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.57 MDL 117

803.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$10.12 MDL 180

590.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.41 MDL 60.5

318.77%

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$33.26 MDL 591

58.78%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.87 MDL 584

33.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$108 MDL 1,922

-21.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$33.44 MDL 594

208.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Calarasi: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Calarasi

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Calarasi

$41 * 11.4% 89.9% $364

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Calarasi

$75 21% 79% $283

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Calarasi

$140 39.2% 60.4% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Calarasi

$94 26.2% 26.9% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Calarasi

$6.8 * 1.9% 92.1% $79

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Calarasi

$1.1 * 0.3% 98.1% $58

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $23.00 in Calarasi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $41.00 per month, with Calarasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

16,100

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

MDL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Calarasi 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Calarasi

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 Calarasi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Calarasi wins on cost – living expenses run 645% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calarasi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $536 in Calarasi 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $358 in Calarasi – a 645% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 889% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $358 in Calarasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Calarasi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Calarasi 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 Calarasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 645% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.