Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Giurgiu

For one person, living is cheaper in Giurgiu: $1,112 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,600 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Giurgiu
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Giurgiu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Giurgiu

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,112

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,112 in Giurgiu.

Austin, TX $2,663
Giurgiu $1,112

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,678 in Giurgiu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Giurgiu $1,678

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,245 in Giurgiu.

Austin, TX $5,603
Giurgiu $2,245

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 140% more expensive than in Giurgiu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Giurgiu is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.83 RON 51.3

91.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$52.0 RON 246

62.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.21 RON 34.10

70.87%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.57 RON 16.89

57.70%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.44 RON 11.56

52.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.14 RON 10.15

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.19 RON 15.10

152.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.32 RON 15.70

171.39%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.52 RON 7.18

-26.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.35 RON 6.40

177.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.68 RON 7.96

94.05%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.58 RON 16.96

16.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.67 RON 41.01

48.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.89 RON 32.62

105.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.35 RON 58.4

31.34%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.52 RON 7.21

184.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 RON 7.14

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.63 RON 7.70

176.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.62 RON 12.41

65.65%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.77 RON 3.64

235.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.85 RON 4.04

176.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.90 RON 4.28

97.78%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.80 RON 3.77

177.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.11 RON 28.93

61.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.44 RON 35.21

102.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.19 RON 5.63

145.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.87 RON 8.84

85.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.75 RON 3.53

98.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$21.57 RON 102

93.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.63 RON 2.98

333.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.66 RON 3.13

151.52%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.41 RON 30.32

450.70%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.84 RON 8.69

-48.37%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.6K RON 135.4K

25.98%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.2K RON 124.1K

3.25%

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

$229 $229

$175 RON 830

30.56%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.72 RON 36.55

669.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.19 RON 43.48

660.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$32.75 RON 155

74.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$23.12 RON 109

-29.37%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.51 RON 45.00

50.16%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$441 RON 2,086

241.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,982 RON 33.0K

207.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.4 RON 248

0.88%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.40 RON 167

23.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$75.1 RON 355

12.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$88.9 RON 421

15.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$329 RON 1,557

479.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$309 RON 1,460

312.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$528 RON 2,500

593.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$436 RON 2,064

481.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,004 RON 9,484

279.83%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,180 RON 5,585

167.47%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$894 RON 4,230

472.75%

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 12, 2026

Last update for Giurgiu: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Giurgiu

$309 27.8% 75.8% $965

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Giurgiu

$225 20.3% 44.3% $179

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Giurgiu

$192 17.3% 46.3% $166

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Giurgiu

$192 17.3% 45.7% $162

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Giurgiu

$113 10.2% 11.5% $15

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Giurgiu

$52 4.7% 39.7% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Giurgiu

$28 2.6% 51.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $329 in Giurgiu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 473% 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 $52.0 in Giurgiu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $225 per month, with Giurgiu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Giurgiu

🕒 Local time

17:22 5:22 PM

01:22 1:22 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

61,353

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Giurgiu 9,980 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Giurgiu

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 Giurgiu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Giurgiu wins on cost – living expenses run 140% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Giurgiu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 473% 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 $329 in Giurgiu. 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 $1,112 in Giurgiu – a 140% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Giurgiu runs roughly 93% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,112 in Giurgiu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Giurgiu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu 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 Giurgiu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 140% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.