Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kostroma

For one person, living is cheaper in Kostroma: $1,228 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,200 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
62

Cost of Living Index in Kostroma
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Kostroma Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kostroma

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,228

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,228 in Kostroma.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kostroma $1,228

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,964 in Kostroma.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kostroma $1,964

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,700 in Kostroma.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kostroma $2,700

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 117% more expensive than in Kostroma, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.72 ₽978

77.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$59.2 ₽4,940

42.91%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.31 ₽610

68.54%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.69 ₽308

52.57%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.58 ₽132

135.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.89 ₽74.0

180.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.75 ₽146

360.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.39 ₽449

67.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 ₽107

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.01 ₽84.0

271.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.66 ₽139

96.39%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.96 ₽163

112.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.64 ₽1,222

-11.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.55 ₽547

116.18%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.95 ₽1,248

8.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.07 ₽173

109.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.76 ₽147

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.03 ₽169

122.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.08 ₽341

6.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.93 ₽77.3

177.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.75 ₽62.4

213.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.63 ₽136

9.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.92 ₽76.7

141.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.54 ₽296

179.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.92 ₽995

26.51%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.20 ₽100

143.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.65 ₽221

30.57%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.49 ₽40.96

204.08%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.46 ₽289

-21.10%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.35 ₽29.46

374.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$11.76 ₽982

200.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.83 ₽69.2

14.46%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$39.5K ₽3.3M

-8.69%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.1K ₽3.3M

-30.79%

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

$229 $229

$188 ₽15.7K

21.90%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.10 ₽759

552.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.89 ₽825

606.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.56 ₽3,218

48.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.29 ₽2,027

-32.77%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.55 ₽797

49.53%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$350 ₽29.2K

330.68%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,197 ₽517.2K

246.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$111 ₽9,247

-52.33%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$66.2 ₽5,521

-33.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$147 ₽12.2K

-42.14%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$180 ₽15.0K

-42.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$515 ₽42.9K

270.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$275 ₽23.0K

363.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$811 ₽67.7K

351.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$532 ₽44.4K

376.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,209 ₽184.4K

244.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,486 ₽124.0K

112.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$737 ₽61.5K

594.38%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

19.56

-65.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kostroma: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kostroma

$275 22.4% 78.4% $999

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kostroma

$265 21.6% 34.4% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kostroma

$207 16.8% 42.3% $151

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kostroma

$189 15.4% 46.5% $165

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kostroma

$227 18.5% 77% $99

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kostroma

$58 4.7% 32.8% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kostroma

$7.2 * 0.6% 87.7% $52

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 $515 in Kostroma. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 594% 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 $59.0 in Kostroma for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $265 per month, with Kostroma cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Kostroma

🕒 Local time

00:54 12:54 AM

08:54 8:54 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

277,393

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

RUB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kostroma 9,490 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kostroma

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 Kostroma: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kostroma wins on cost – living expenses run 117% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kostroma the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 594% 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 $515 in Kostroma. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $350 in Kostroma. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Kostroma – a meal for two runs $59.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,228 in Kostroma versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kostroma but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kostroma 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.

Expats usually find Kostroma gentler on the wallet – expenses run 117% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.