Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Cricova

For one person, living is cheaper in Cricova: $1,022 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Cricova
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Cricova Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Cricova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,022

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,022 in Cricova.

Austin, TX $2,663
Cricova $1,022

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,858 in Cricova.

Austin, TX $4,133
Cricova $1,858

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,693 in Cricova.

Austin, TX $5,603
Cricova $2,693

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 161% more expensive than in Cricova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Cricova is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.25 MDL 146

151.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$27.53 MDL 489

207.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.30 MDL 183

19.61%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.08 MDL 19.20

421.30%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.05 MDL 18.59

254.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.68 MDL 12.14

267.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.00 MDL 35.55

302.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.21 MDL 39.25

307.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.39 MDL 42.52

-53.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.46 MDL 8.18

715.22%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.09 MDL 19.38

199.08%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.25 MDL 22.22

233.60%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.90 MDL 123

86.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.59 MDL 81.5

208.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.35 MDL 219

31.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.08 MDL 19.14

300.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.86 MDL 15.21

69.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.03 MDL 18.33

337.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.09 MDL 19.29

298.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.76 MDL 13.44

239.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.09 MDL 19.36

115.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.08 MDL 19.24

64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.09 MDL 19.37

103.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.31 MDL 58.8

198.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.45 MDL 79.1

238.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.58 MDL 45.88

13.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.28 MDL 75.9

-19.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.53 MDL 9.48

181.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$22.39 MDL 398

86.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.10 MDL 19.57

148.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.26 MDL 4.63

538.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.53 MDL 116

440.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.30 MDL 23.12

-26.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.2K MDL 517.9K

23.62%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.8K MDL 422.4K

13.82%

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

$229 $229

$235 MDL 4,176

-2.61%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.70 MDL 137

671.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$11.02 MDL 196

534.39%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$56.5 MDL 1,003

1.31%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.20 MDL 199

45.80%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.42 MDL 132

92.45%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$111 MDL 1,972

1256.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,220 MDL 92.7K

311.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$56.2 MDL 998

-6.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$27.60 MDL 490

58.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.5 MDL 1,464

2.81%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$114 MDL 2,021

-9.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$884 MDL 15.7K

115.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$222 MDL 3,943

473.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,373 MDL 24.4K

166.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,108 MDL 19.7K

129.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,775 MDL 49.3K

174.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,943 MDL 34.5K

62.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$562 MDL 9,989

810.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-3.00%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Cricova: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Cricova

$222 21.7% 82.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Cricova

$191 18.7% 52.8% $214

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Cricova

$254 24.8% 29.2% $104

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Cricova

$131 12.8% 62.9% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Cricova

$126 12.3% 1.5% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Cricova

$71 7% 16.8% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Cricova

$27 2.6% 54.1% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $884 in Cricova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 810% 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 $28.00 in Cricova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $191 per month, with Cricova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇩 Cricova

🕒 Local time

22:29 10:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,642

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Cricova 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Cricova

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 Cricova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Cricova wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cricova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 810% 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 $884 in Cricova. 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 $1,022 in Cricova – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 86% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,022 in Cricova versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova 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 Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.