Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Elista

For one person, living is cheaper in Elista: $887 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,300 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
43

Cost of Living Index in Elista
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Elista Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Elista

🇷🇺 Russia

$887

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $887 in Elista.

Austin, TX $2,663
Elista $887

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,466 in Elista.

Austin, TX $4,133
Elista $1,466

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,045 in Elista.

Austin, TX $5,603
Elista $2,045

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 200% more expensive than in Elista, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Elista is 34% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.61 ₽552

214.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$47.59 ₽3,972

77.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.40 ₽534

92.50%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.71 ₽226

107.75%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.94 ₽78.2

295.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.62 ₽51.9

303.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.14 ₽95.4

606.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.81 ₽151

397.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 ₽85.8

8.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.56 ₽46.39

569.64%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.07 ₽89.5

204.67%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.42 ₽119

193.66%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.19 ₽600

79.42%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.56 ₽380

210.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.15 ₽931

45.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.19 ₽99.4

263.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.45 ₽121

0.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.39 ₽116

224.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.55 ₽213

70.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.75 ₽62.3

244.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.46 ₽38.79

410.87%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.35 ₽29.04

408.57%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.64 ₽53.8

246.88%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.75 ₽229

259.27%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.89 ₽742

69.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.05 ₽87.2

178.10%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.86 ₽156

86.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.52 ₽43.40

186.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.13 ₽178

28.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.36 ₽30.36

361.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.60 ₽300

880.56%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.87 ₽72.3

9.20%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$25.9K ₽2.2M

39.35%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.4K ₽2.5M

-11.00%

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

$229 $229

$84.4 ₽7,042

171.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.97 ₽498

894.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$7.91 ₽660

783.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$34.99 ₽2,921

63.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.25 ₽2,024

-32.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.14 ₽345

244.93%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$369 ₽30.8K

307.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,636 ₽553.8K

223.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$81.3 ₽6,786

-35.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$52.4 ₽4,374

-16.39%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$54.2 ₽4,522

56.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$101 ₽8,468

1.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$476 ₽39.7K

301.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$313 ₽26.1K

306.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$830 ₽69.3K

341.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$642 ₽53.6K

295.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,917 ₽160.0K

297.12%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,588 ₽132.5K

98.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$363 ₽30.3K

1312.01%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

21.33

-68.17%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Elista: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Elista

$313 35.3% 75.4% $961

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Elista

$176 19.8% 56.6% $229

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Elista

$98 11.1% 72.6% $260

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Elista

$120 13.6% 66% $234

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Elista

$130 14.7% 1.7% $2.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Elista

$43 4.9% 49.6% $43

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Elista

$6 * 0.7% 89.7% $53

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $476 in Elista. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1312% 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 $48.00 in Elista for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $176 per month, with Elista cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Elista

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

15:15 3:15 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

103,219

💱 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 Elista 10,680 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Elista

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 Elista: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Elista wins on cost – living expenses run 200% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Elista the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1312% 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 $476 in Elista. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $369 in Elista. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Elista – a meal for two runs $48.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $887 in Elista versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Elista but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Elista 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 Elista gentler on the wallet – expenses run 200% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.