Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kepong

For one person, living is cheaper in Kepong: $909 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 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
44

Cost of Living Index in Kepong
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Kepong Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kepong

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$909

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $909 in Kepong.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kepong $909

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,366 in Kepong.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kepong $1,366

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,823 in Kepong.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kepong $1,823

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 193% more expensive than in Kepong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kepong is 33% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.75 MYR 15.31

453.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.50 MYR 100.0

245.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.94 MYR 20.13

149.39%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.01 MYR 12.28

87.04%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.87 MYR 3.55

327.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 MYR 1.82

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.40 MYR 13.86

136.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.84 MYR 23.81

54.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.76 MYR 7.18

-36.36%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.04 MYR 4.24

260.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.42 MYR 5.81

129.58%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.80 MYR 7.34

131.67%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.81 MYR 40.00

31.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.30 MYR 13.47

329.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.58 MYR 39.08

69.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.31 MYR 13.51

30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.71 MYR 11.06

66.42%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.70 MYR 6.93

155.29%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.47 MYR 5.99

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.66 MYR 6.77

41.57%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.32 MYR 5.37

34.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.55 MYR 2.22

303.64%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.17 MYR 17.00

136.93%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.90 MYR 56.7

8.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.67 MYR 10.90

9.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.99 MYR 12.20

15.72%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.82 MYR 3.34

81.71%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.06 MYR 49.18

245.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.00 MYR 4.09

173.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.38 MYR 1.56

336.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.05 MYR 36.91

290.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.86 MYR 3.53

10.47%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$41.3K MYR 168.5K

-12.71%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.0K MYR 130.6K

-15.44%

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

$229 $229

$49.51 MYR 202

362.51%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.27 MYR 33.74

618.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$27.27 MYR 111

156.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.01 MYR 159

46.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.74 MYR 27.48

142.28%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.86 MYR 19.82

193.83%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$164 MYR 668

819.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,528 MYR 18.5K

373.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$54.7 MYR 223

-3.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$24.36 MYR 99.4

79.89%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.3 MYR 336

2.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$84.5 MYR 345

21.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$404 MYR 1,649

371.97%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$303 MYR 1,235

320.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$668 MYR 2,726

448.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$482 MYR 1,967

426.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,997 MYR 8,147

281.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,073 MYR 4,378

194.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$644 MYR 2,628

695.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.06

67.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kepong: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kepong

$303 33.3% 76.2% $971

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kepong

$228 25.1% 43.6% $176

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kepong

$85 9.4% 76.3% $273

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kepong

$115 12.6% 67.5% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kepong

$111 12.2% 13.5% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kepong

$49 5.4% 43.2% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kepong

$18 2% 68.9% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $404 in Kepong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 695% 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 $25.00 in Kepong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $228 per month, with Kepong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Kepong

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

13:54 1:54 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

85,960

💱 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 Kepong 15,760 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kepong

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 Kepong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kepong wins on cost – living expenses run 193% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kepong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 695% 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 $404 in Kepong. 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 $909 in Kepong – a 193% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kepong runs roughly 246% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $909 in Kepong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kepong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kepong 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 Kepong 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 Kepong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 193% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.