Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Chelyabinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Chelyabinsk: $936 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Chelyabinsk
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Chelyabinsk Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Chelyabinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$936

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $936 in Chelyabinsk.

Austin, TX $2,663
Chelyabinsk $936

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,369 in Chelyabinsk.

Austin, TX $4,133
Chelyabinsk $1,369

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,801 in Chelyabinsk.

Austin, TX $5,603
Chelyabinsk $1,801

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 184% more expensive than in Chelyabinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Chelyabinsk is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.42 ₽703

146.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.78 ₽2,736

158.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.31 ₽443

132.02%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.64 ₽220

113.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.12 ₽93.5

232.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.71 ₽59.4

252.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.59 ₽299

124.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.80 ₽400

87.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.10 ₽92.0

1.82%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.72 ₽60.4

420.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.16 ₽96.6

181.03%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.45 ₽121

187.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.58 ₽883

21.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.80 ₽401

195.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.30 ₽943

43.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.93 ₽161

124.35%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.77 ₽147

-17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.49 ₽124

202.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.68 ₽224

61.94%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.68 ₽56.5

279.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.54 ₽45.40

335.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.44 ₽120

23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.56 ₽46.69

296.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.79 ₽233

254.12%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.45 ₽538

133.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.86 ₽71.5

239.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.74 ₽145

98.85%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.58 ₽48.12

156.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$18.87 ₽1,575

121.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.31 ₽193

18.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.20 ₽16.30

730.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.27 ₽357

726.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.82 ₽68.3

15.85%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.1K ₽2.9M

2.75%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$28.5K ₽2.4M

-5.08%

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

$229 $229

$93.4 ₽7,794

145.20%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.95 ₽496

898.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.05 ₽756

672.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$28.26 ₽2,359

102.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.86 ₽489

143.69%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$347 ₽29.0K

333.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,761 ₽313.9K

470.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$47.71 ₽3,982

10.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.35 ₽2,533

44.38%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$87.8 ₽7,327

-3.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$53.4 ₽4,456

92.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$380 ₽31.7K

402.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$321 ₽26.8K

297.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$652 ₽54.4K

462.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$420 ₽35.0K

504.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,205 ₽184.1K

245.24%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,479 ₽123.5K

113.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$668 ₽55.7K

666.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

20.32

-66.58%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Chelyabinsk: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Chelyabinsk

$321 34.3% 74.8% $953

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Chelyabinsk

$194 20.7% 52% $210

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Chelyabinsk

$108 11.6% 69.7% $250

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Chelyabinsk

$150 16% 57.7% $204

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Chelyabinsk

$99 10.5% 22.9% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Chelyabinsk

$40 4.3% 53.4% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Chelyabinsk

$24 2.6% 58.3% $34

Cost Breakdown

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

Austin, TX pays 667% 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 $33.00 in Chelyabinsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $194 per month, with Chelyabinsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Chelyabinsk

🕒 Local time

23:11 11:11 PM

09:11 9:11 AM

10 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,200,719

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

RUB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Chelyabinsk 10,310 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Chelyabinsk

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 Chelyabinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Chelyabinsk wins on cost – living expenses run 184% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Chelyabinsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 667% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $380 in Chelyabinsk. 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 $936 in Chelyabinsk – a 184% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Chelyabinsk runs roughly 121% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $936 in Chelyabinsk versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Chelyabinsk but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Chelyabinsk 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 Chelyabinsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.