Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Karlovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Karlovo: $785 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
38

Cost of Living Index in Karlovo
Learn more

Karlovo Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Karlovo

🇧🇬 Bulgaria

$785

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $785 in Karlovo.

Austin, TX $2,698
Karlovo $785

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,263 in Karlovo.

Austin, TX $4,160
Karlovo $1,263

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,742 in Karlovo.

Austin, TX $5,622
Karlovo $1,742

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 244% more expensive than in Karlovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Karlovo is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$7.09 BGN 12.34

190.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$33.57 BGN 58.4

151.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$8.66 BGN 15.07

39.38%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.45 BGN 2.53

277.93%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.03 BGN 1.79

268.93%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.74 BGN 1.28

233.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.96 BGN 3.41

310.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.75 BGN 3.04

407.43%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.17 BGN 2.04

-5.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.84 BGN 1.47

342.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.87 BGN 3.25

80.21%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$3.27 BGN 5.69

32.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.92 BGN 17.26

32.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$8.31 BGN 14.45

70.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$5.86 BGN 10.20

178.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.26 BGN 2.19

261.11%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.96 BGN 3.41

-25.51%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.13 BGN 3.70

121.13%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.11 BGN 3.68

96.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.48 BGN 0.84

437.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.90 BGN 1.56

161.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$0.99 BGN 1.71

78.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.77 BGN 1.34

177.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$3.24 BGN 5.64

211.73%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$6.69 BGN 11.64

127.06%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$0.99 BGN 1.72

184.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.89 BGN 3.29

82.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$1.11 BGN 1.93

38.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$23.67 BGN 41.18

73.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.17 BGN 2.03

139.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.71 BGN 1.23

125.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$11.78 BGN 20.50

191.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.40 BGN 2.43

-32.86%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$30.0K BGN 52.2K

13.30%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$22.3K BGN 38.8K

19.93%

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

$223 $223

$104 BGN 180

114.75%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$14.45 BGN 25.13

307.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$11.91 BGN 20.72

492.70%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$29.57 BGN 51.5

95.13%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$17.35 BGN 30.18

-4.73%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$5.57 BGN 9.69

156.01%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$226 BGN 393

569.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$5,755 BGN 10.0K

262.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$28.50 BGN 49.60

79.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$11.54 BGN 20.08

282.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$56.9 BGN 99.0

52.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$45.99 BGN 80.0

126.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$335 BGN 583

478.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$191 BGN 332

589.19%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$534 BGN 929

586.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$403 BGN 701

536.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,320 BGN 2,297

457.14%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,083 BGN 1,885

188.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$448 BGN 779

1080.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.25

108.92%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Karlovo: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Karlovo

$191 24.3% 85.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Karlovo

$205 26.2% 49.4% $201

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Karlovo

$130 16.6% 63.1% $222

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Karlovo

$121 15.4% 65.6% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Karlovo

$64 8.2% 50.2% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Karlovo

$41 5.2% 52.8% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Karlovo

$33 4.2% 43.3% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $335 in Karlovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1081% 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 $34.00 in Karlovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $205 per month, with Karlovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇬 Karlovo

🕒 Local time

12:01 12:01 PM

20:01 8:01 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

23,919

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Bulgarian Lev BGN лв.

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 BGN = 0.575 USD

1 BGN = 0.511 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

BGN, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇧🇬 Bulgarian Lev (лв.)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Bulgarian Lev exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 1.74 BGN (1 BGN = 0.575 USD). 1 EUR = 1.96 BGN (1 BGN = 0.511 EUR).

BGN to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Karlovo 10,010 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Karlovo

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 Karlovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Karlovo wins on cost – living expenses run 244% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Karlovo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1081% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $335 in Karlovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $785 in Karlovo – a 244% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Karlovo runs roughly 73% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $785 in Karlovo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Karlovo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Karlovo 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 Karlovo 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 Karlovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.