Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Galati

For one person, living is cheaper in Galati: $1,060 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Galati
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,060
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,060 in Galati.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Galati $1,060

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,604 in Galati.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Galati $1,604

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,148 in Galati.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Galati $2,148

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 155% more expensive than in Galati, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Galati is 21% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$10.30 RON 48.72
96.31%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$42.07 RON 199
102.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$7.17 RON 33.90
72.25%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$2.53 RON 11.97
116.21%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$2.13 RON 10.06
79.34%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.82 RON 8.62
37.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$2.11 RON 9.99
281.99%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$3.20 RON 15.15
180.94%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.24 RON 5.87
-8.87%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$0.66 RON 3.13
472.73%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.74 RON 8.21
86.78%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$3.49 RON 16.51
18.62%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$7.76 RON 36.69
68.56%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$5.88 RON 27.79
143.37%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$8.53 RON 40.33
87.10%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.32 RON 6.25
231.82%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.65 RON 7.80
-12.12%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$1.57 RON 7.42
189.17%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.78 RON 8.42
135.39%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.96 RON 4.56
173.96%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.02 RON 4.82
131.37%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$0.80 RON 3.80
120.00%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.67 RON 3.16
222.39%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$5.79 RON 27.40
69.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$5.29 RON 25.03
178.26%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$0.95 RON 4.51
192.63%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.19 RON 5.65
192.44%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.75 RON 3.56
98.67%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$24.50 RON 116
65.35%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$0.62 RON 2.92
330.65%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$0.70 RON 3.32
125.71%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$6.94 RON 32.83
408.50%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$1.76 RON 8.31
-43.75%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$28.3K RON 133.8K
26.61%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$25.0K RON 118.2K
8.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$151 RON 714
45.35%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$7.58 RON 35.87
665.04%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$7.84 RON 37.11
771.94%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$38.52 RON 182
50.31%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$34.79 RON 165
-57.40%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$6.14 RON 29.04
130.13%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$587 RON 2,777
157.05%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$5,028 RON 23.8K
326.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$97.2 RON 460
-46.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$31.64 RON 150
39.22%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$61.8 RON 292
37.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$84.6 RON 400
24.55%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$381 RON 1,800
407.60%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$323 RON 1,526
294.38%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$783 RON 3,705
368.51%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$571 RON 2,703
341.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$1,622 RON 7,672
369.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$1,250 RON 5,914
155.87%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Galati
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$903 RON 4,270
465.48%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
7.2
-5.69%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Galati: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Galati
$323 74.6% $950
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Galati
$184 54.4% $219
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Galati
$167 52% $181
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Galati
$166 51.9% $179
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Galati
$124 3.8% $4.9
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Galati
$51 41% $35
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Galati
$32 44.5% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $381 in Galati. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 465% 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 $42.00 in Galati for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $184 per month, with Galati cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇷🇴 Galati
🕒 Local time
06:16 6:16 AM
14:16 2:16 PM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
249,432
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Galati 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Galati

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 Galati: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Galati?
Galati wins on cost – living expenses run 155% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Galati the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Galati?
Average pay runs 465% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Galati?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $381 in Galati. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Galati?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,060 in Galati – a 155% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Galati?
A monthly transit pass in Galati runs roughly 65% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Galati?
At $1,060 in Galati versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Galati but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Galati the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Galati?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Galati?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Galati are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Galati gentler on the wallet – expenses run 155% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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