Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Erdenet

For one person, living is cheaper in Erdenet: $377 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
31

Cost of Living Index in Erdenet
Learn more

Erdenet Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Erdenet

🇲🇳 Mongolia

$377

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $377 in Erdenet.

Austin, TX $2,704
Erdenet $377

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $617 in Erdenet.

Austin, TX $4,133
Erdenet $617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $858 in Erdenet.

Austin, TX $5,562
Erdenet $858

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 617% more expensive than in Erdenet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Erdenet is 72% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

395.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$27.28 MNT 98.0K

211.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.08 MNT 14.7K

202.70%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.29 MNT 8,214

138.86%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.66 MNT 2,373

478.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.40 MNT 1,454

525.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$1.70 MNT 6,100

374.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$1.63 MNT 5,840

451.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.01 MNT 3,627

11.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.91 MNT 3,281

315.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.85 MNT 10.3K

14.04%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.02 MNT 7,270

104.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.05 MNT 25.3K

85.53%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.78 MNT 24.4K

111.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$4.54 MNT 16.3K

251.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.24 MNT 8,038

95.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.68 MNT 6,054

-13.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.63 MNT 5,857

178.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.37 MNT 4,925

205.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.43 MNT 5,136

83.92%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.85 MNT 3,040

177.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.41 MNT 5,071

24.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.98 MNT 3,539

120.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.83 MNT 10.2K

246.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$5.67 MNT 20.4K

159.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.62 MNT 5,830

71.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.65 MNT 5,938

110.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.15 MNT 549

893.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$19.59 MNT 70.4K

106.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.61 MNT 2,209

337.70%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.43 MNT 1,546

267.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.75 MNT 2,689

32.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$57.7 MNT 207.4K

279.82%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$2.86 MNT 10.3K

1927.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$14.06 MNT 50.5K

386.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

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

$1,509 $1,509

$281 MNT 1.0M

437.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,474 MNT 8.9M

767.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$218 MNT 782.9K

2242.72%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Erdenet: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Erdenet

$188 50.3% 53.3% $215

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Erdenet

$88 23.6% 74.6% $260

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Erdenet

$75 20% 78.4% $271

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Erdenet

- * 0% 100%

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Erdenet

$23 6.1% 59.7% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 2243% 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 $27.00 in Erdenet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $188 per month, with Erdenet cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇳 Erdenet

🕒 Local time

02:31 2:31 AM

15:31 3:31 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

86,866

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Mongolian Tögrög MNT ₮

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD

10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MNT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇳 Mongolian Tögrög (₮)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Mongolian Tögrög exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3,593 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.78 USD). 1 EUR = 4,030 MNT (10,000 MNT = 2.48 EUR).

MNT to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Erdenet 10,940 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Erdenet

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 Erdenet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Erdenet wins on cost – living expenses run 617% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Erdenet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 2243% 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $377 in Erdenet – a 617% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Erdenet runs roughly 107% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $377 in Erdenet versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Erdenet but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Erdenet 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 Erdenet 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 Erdenet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 617% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.