Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kruje

For one person, living is cheaper in Kruje: $1,100 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $18,800 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Kruje
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Kruje Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kruje

🇦🇱 Albania

$1,100

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,100 in Kruje.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kruje $1,100

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,644 in Kruje.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kruje $1,644

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,187 in Kruje.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kruje $2,187

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 142% more expensive than in Kruje, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kruje is 18% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.03 ALL 808

107.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$38.84 ALL 3,128

117.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.45 ALL 600

65.37%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.91 ALL 154

194.76%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.83 ALL 147

103.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.65 ALL 52.0

284.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.42 ALL 195

232.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.30 ALL 266

173.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.97 ALL 158

-43.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.91 ALL 73.4

312.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.10 ALL 169

55.24%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.61 ALL 211

59.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.12 ALL 815

27.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.45 ALL 681

67.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.80 ALL 1,111

17.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.91 ALL 154

126.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.31 ALL 186

-36.80%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.70 ALL 137

165.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.65 ALL 133

163.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.00 ALL 80.8

158.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.24 ALL 99.6

89.52%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 ALL 95.0

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.80 ALL 64.2

177.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.23 ALL 341

133.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.82 ALL 630

92.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.60 ALL 129

82.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.81 ALL 145

91.16%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.54 ALL 43.65

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$18.84 ALL 1,517

121.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.70 ALL 298

-26.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.57 ALL 288

-53.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$18.68 ALL 1,504

88.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.24 ALL 180

-57.59%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$33.6K ALL 2.7M

7.44%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.4K ALL 2.0M

11.13%

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

$229 $229

$60.7 ALL 4,885

277.50%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.34 ALL 1,316

263.46%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$17.16 ALL 1,382

307.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$51.5 ALL 4,149

11.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.78 ALL 707

62.64%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$99.2 ALL 7,991

1417.56%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,203 ALL 660.6K

161.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$48.18 ALL 3,880

9.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.28 ALL 3,888

-9.24%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$99.3 ALL 7,993

-14.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$113 ALL 9,110

-8.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$460 ALL 37.0K

314.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$354 ALL 28.5K

259.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$611 ALL 49.2K

499.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$460 ALL 37.0K

451.86%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,638 ALL 131.9K

364.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,108 ALL 89.2K

185.04%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$660 ALL 53.1K

676.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kruje: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kruje

$354 32.2% 72.2% $920

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kruje

$247 22.5% 38.9% $157

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kruje

$94 8.6% 73.7% $264

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kruje

$154 14% 56.4% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kruje

$139 12.6% 8.6% $11

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kruje

$69 6.3% 19.5% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kruje

$43 3.9% 27.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $460 in Kruje. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 676% 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 $39.00 in Kruje for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $247 per month, with Kruje cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇱 Kruje

🕒 Local time

06:27 6:27 AM

13:27 1:27 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

59,814

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

ALL to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kruje 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kruje

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 Kruje: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kruje wins on cost – living expenses run 142% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kruje the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 676% 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 $460 in Kruje. 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 $1,100 in Kruje – a 142% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kruje runs roughly 121% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,100 in Kruje versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kruje but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kruje 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 Kruje gentler on the wallet – expenses run 142% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.