Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ipoh

For one person, living is cheaper in Ipoh: $922 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.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Ipoh
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Ipoh Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ipoh

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $922 in Ipoh.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ipoh $922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,372 in Ipoh.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ipoh $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,821 in Ipoh.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ipoh $1,821

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.26 MYR 13.29

537.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.29 MYR 78.7

338.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.51 MYR 18.38

173.17%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.80 MYR 11.41

101.07%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.70 MYR 2.87

431.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.44 MYR 1.81

468.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.34 MYR 17.70

85.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.52 MYR 18.42

99.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.97 MYR 8.05

-43.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.05 MYR 4.29

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.36 MYR 5.56

139.71%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.21 MYR 9.03

88.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.65 MYR 55.7

-5.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.56 MYR 18.62

210.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.64 MYR 31.16

112.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.01 MYR 12.27

43.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.77 MYR 7.21

-17.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.22 MYR 9.05

103.15%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.56 MYR 6.34

178.21%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.28 MYR 5.22

101.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.34 MYR 5.48

75.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.13 MYR 4.62

57.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.45 MYR 1.82

393.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.32 MYR 17.63

128.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$16.98 MYR 69.3

-11.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.48 MYR 14.22

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.57 MYR 18.64

-24.29%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.62 MYR 2.54

140.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$11.56 MYR 47.14

260.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.24 MYR 5.07

120.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.23 MYR 5.04

34.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.04 MYR 20.56

600.40%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.52 MYR 2.11

82.69%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$41.3K MYR 168.7K

-12.80%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-21.89%

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

$229 $229

$61.9 MYR 253

269.70%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.92 MYR 36.37

565.81%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.24 MYR 107

166.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$40.16 MYR 164

42.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.93 MYR 28.26

135.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.33 MYR 13.59

328.83%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$305 MYR 1,242

394.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$13.3K MYR 54.2K

61.49%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$61.5 MYR 251

-14.12%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$36.00 MYR 147

21.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.8 MYR 252

37.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$62.0 MYR 253

66.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$401 MYR 1,635

376.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$298 MYR 1,217

327.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$679 MYR 2,770

439.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$490 MYR 2,001

417.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,059 MYR 8,400

269.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,093 MYR 4,458

188.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$973 MYR 3,968

426.40%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.99

70.18%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ipoh: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ipoh

$298 32.4% 76.6% $976

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ipoh

$250 27.2% 38.1% $154

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ipoh

$97 10.5% 72.9% $261

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ipoh

$108 11.8% 69.4% $245

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ipoh

$100 10.8% 22.2% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ipoh

$47 5.1% 45.4% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ipoh

$21 2.3% 63.4% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $401 in Ipoh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 426% 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 $19.00 in Ipoh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $250 per month, with Ipoh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Ipoh

🕒 Local time

21:53 9:53 PM

10:53 10:53 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

759,952

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

MYR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ipoh 15,650 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ipoh

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 Ipoh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ipoh 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 Ipoh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 426% 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 $401 in Ipoh. 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 $922 in Ipoh – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ipoh runs roughly 261% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $922 in Ipoh versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ipoh but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ipoh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Ipoh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $922 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Ipoh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ipoh 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 Ipoh 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.