Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Craiova

For one person, living is cheaper in Craiova: $1,187 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,200 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
58

Cost of Living Index in Craiova
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Craiova Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Craiova

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,187

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,187 in Craiova.

Austin, TX $2,704
Craiova $1,187

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,763 in Craiova.

Austin, TX $4,133
Craiova $1,763

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,338 in Craiova.

Austin, TX $5,562
Craiova $2,338

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 128% more expensive than in Craiova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Craiova is 11% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$7.53 RON 35.62

168.53%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$41.41 RON 196

105.34%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.20 RON 34.05

71.53%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.62 RON 12.40

108.78%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.21 RON 10.44

72.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.80 RON 8.51

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.36 RON 11.14

241.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.46 RON 16.35

159.83%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.32 RON 6.26

-14.39%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.87 RON 4.09

334.48%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.38 RON 6.54

135.51%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.41 RON 16.12

21.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.11 RON 33.61

83.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.46 RON 30.57

121.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$11.35 RON 53.7

40.62%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.04 RON 4.90

321.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.44 RON 6.82

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.46 RON 6.90

210.96%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.83 RON 8.66

128.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.77 RON 3.64

241.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.84 RON 4.00

180.95%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.69 RON 3.24

155.07%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.75 RON 3.56

188.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.36 RON 30.08

54.25%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.27 RON 29.66

134.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.20 RON 5.66

131.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.47 RON 6.96

136.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.82 RON 3.87

81.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$25.32 RON 120

59.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.64 RON 3.04

317.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.61 RON 2.89

159.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.40 RON 30.25

451.41%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.92 RON 9.09

-48.44%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.0K RON 132.6K

27.75%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$26.2K RON 124.0K

3.65%

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

$219 $219

$214 RON 1,011

2.57%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.61 RON 45.43

503.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$11.51 RON 54.5

493.92%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$44.51 RON 211

30.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$21.43 RON 101

-30.84%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.46 RON 35.30

89.41%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$421 RON 1,992

258.31%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,039 RON 38.0K

166.92%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$63.1 RON 298

-18.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$50.9 RON 241

-13.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$82.9 RON 392

2.65%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$102 RON 481

3.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$503 RON 2,379

284.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$391 RON 1,851

225.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$874 RON 4,132

320.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$602 RON 2,845

319.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,655 RON 12.6K

186.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,024 RON 9,575

58.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$941 RON 4,449

442.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.84

-0.73%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Craiova: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Craiova

$391 32.7% 69.2% $881

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Craiova

$195 16.3% 51.6% $208

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Craiova

$148 12.4% 57.5% $200

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Craiova

$235 19.7% 32% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Craiova

$134 11.2% 4.3% $5.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Craiova

$59 5% 31% $27

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Craiova

$32 2.7% 43.4% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $503 in Craiova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 443% 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 $41.00 in Craiova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $195 per month, with Craiova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Craiova

🕒 Local time

05:12 5:12 AM

13:12 1:12 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

269,506

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 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 = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Craiova 9,820 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Craiova

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 Craiova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Craiova wins on cost – living expenses run 128% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Craiova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 443% 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 $503 in Craiova. 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 $1,187 in Craiova – a 128% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Craiova runs roughly 60% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,187 in Craiova versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Craiova but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Craiova 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 Craiova 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 Craiova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 128% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.