Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Karlovac

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovac: $1,222 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
60

Cost of Living Index in Karlovac
Learn more

Karlovac Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Karlovac

🇭🇷 Croatia

$1,222

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,222 in Karlovac.

Austin, TX $2,663
Karlovac $1,222

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,813 in Karlovac.

Austin, TX $4,133
Karlovac $1,813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,404 in Karlovac.

Austin, TX $5,603
Karlovac $2,404

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 118% more expensive than in Karlovac, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Karlovac is 9% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.05 €9.83

87.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$44.01 €39.15

92.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.86 €6.99

56.74%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.98 €1.76

184.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.43 €2.16

53.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.60 €1.42

56.25%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.51 €2.23

220.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.53 €2.25

256.13%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.13 €1.00

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.16 €1.03

223.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.55 €1.38

110.32%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.14 €2.79

32.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.27 €8.25

39.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.70 €8.62

45.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.01 €10.68

35.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.98 €1.76

118.69%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.86 €1.65

-21.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.84 €1.64

145.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.03 €1.81

113.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.44 €1.28

79.17%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.07 €0.95

119.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.68 €1.50

5.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.16 €1.03

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.42 €4.82

82.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.81 €6.06

121.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.62 €1.44

80.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.19 €1.95

57.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.37 €2.99

-55.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.56 €4.94

-50.90%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 €1.01

46.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.75 €1.56

-45.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$25.9K €23.0K

39.24%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.7K €22.0K

9.41%

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

$229 $229

$178 €159

28.38%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$26.88 €23.91

120.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$39.18 €34.85

78.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.71 €33.55

51.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.68 €16.61

-12.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.65 €5.91

114.74%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$421 €375

257.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,713 €5,971

219.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$87.9 €78.2

-39.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$50.9 €45.28

-13.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$87.6 €77.9

-3.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$77.3 €68.7

33.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$487 €433

291.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$350 €311

263.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$714 €635

413.56%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$521 €463

387.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,765 €2,460

175.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,459 €2,188

28.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,392 €1,238

267.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.72

82.53%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Karlovac: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Karlovac

$350 28.7% 72.5% $924

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Karlovac

$246 20.1% 39.3% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Karlovac

$244 20% 31.8% $114

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Karlovac

$169 13.9% 52.1% $184

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Karlovac

$137 11.2% 6.8% $8.7

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Karlovac

$51 4.2% 40.5% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Karlovac

$25 * 2% 58% $34

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

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $487 in Karlovac. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 268% 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 $44.00 in Karlovac for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $246 per month, with Karlovac cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇭🇷 Karlovac

🕒 Local time

22:37 10:37 PM

05:37 5:37 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

41,869

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Karlovac 9,240 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Karlovac

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 Karlovac: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlovac wins on cost – living expenses run 118% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karlovac the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 268% 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 $487 in Karlovac. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $421 in Karlovac. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Karlovac – a meal for two runs $44.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,222 in Karlovac versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovac but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovac 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 Karlovac 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 Karlovac gentler on the wallet – expenses run 118% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.