Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Iernut

For one person, living is cheaper in Iernut: $923 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Iernut
🇷🇴 Romania
$923
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $923 in Iernut.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Iernut $923

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,433 in Iernut.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Iernut $1,433

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,944 in Iernut.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Iernut $1,944

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 189% more expensive than in Iernut, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Iernut is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$8.84 RON 41.81
134.95%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$42.37 RON 200
99.65%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$7.29 RON 34.48
69.00%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.26 RON 10.69
149.12%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.46 RON 6.90
154.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.24 RON 5.88
101.61%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.05 RON 9.72
292.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.26 RON 10.67
298.67%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.36 RON 6.42
-17.65%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.11 RON 5.27
237.84%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.39 RON 6.59
134.53%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.83 RON 13.37
47.35%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$7.80 RON 36.92
65.38%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$5.72 RON 27.06
147.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$10.28 RON 48.66
57.78%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.00 RON 4.74
333.00%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.28 RON 6.08
14.06%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.40 RON 6.63
222.14%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.87 RON 8.83
132.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.72 RON 3.41
258.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.52 RON 2.45
351.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.86 RON 4.05
106.98%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.75 RON 3.56
196.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$5.91 RON 27.98
67.17%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$7.49 RON 35.45
101.34%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.06 RON 5.02
175.47%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.61 RON 7.64
114.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.77 RON 3.66
93.51%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$21.47 RON 102
94.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.62 RON 2.93
340.32%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.68 RON 3.23
144.12%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$6.54 RON 30.92
439.76%
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
$28.3K RON 134.1K
27.19%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$25.4K RON 120.3K
6.48%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$102 RON 484
123.78%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$7.66 RON 36.25
675.33%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$8.26 RON 39.09
746.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$38.50 RON 182
48.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$19.97 RON 94.5
-18.23%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$6.22 RON 29.41
129.58%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$424 RON 2,005
255.37%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,901 RON 32.6K
210.93%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$51.8 RON 245
1.99%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$30.19 RON 143
45.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$76.2 RON 361
11.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$76.5 RON 362
34.64%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$382 RON 1,807
399.46%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$283 RON 1,339
350.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$589 RON 2,788
521.93%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$455 RON 2,154
457.60%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,850 RON 8,752
311.59%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,358 RON 6,425
132.50%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Iernut
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
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 Iernut: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Iernut
$283 77.8% $991
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Iernut
$191 52.7% $213
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Iernut
$118 67% $240
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Iernut
$145 58.9% $209
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Iernut
$106 17.5% $22
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Iernut
$51 40.6% $35
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Iernut
$29 51.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $382 in Iernut. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $42.00 in Iernut for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $191 per month, with Iernut cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇷🇴 Iernut
🕒 Local time
08:36 8:36 AM
16:36 4:36 PM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
9,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Iernut 9,690 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Iernut

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 Iernut: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Iernut?
Iernut wins on cost – living expenses run 189% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Iernut the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Iernut?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,384 in Iernut to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Iernut?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $382 in Iernut. 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 Iernut?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $923 in Iernut – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Iernut?
A monthly transit pass in Iernut runs roughly 94% 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 $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Iernut?
At $923 in Iernut versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Iernut but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Iernut the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Iernut?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Iernut gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% 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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