Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kuala Lipis

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Lipis: $939 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Lipis
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Kuala Lipis Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kuala Lipis

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$939

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Kuala Lipis

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $939 in Kuala Lipis.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kuala Lipis $939

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,395 in Kuala Lipis.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kuala Lipis $1,395

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,852 in Kuala Lipis.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kuala Lipis $1,852

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 184% more expensive than in Kuala Lipis, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kuala Lipis is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.72 MYR 15.17

458.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$24.25 MYR 98.9

248.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.97 MYR 20.26

147.89%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.12 MYR 12.74

80.45%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.85 MYR 3.47

337.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 MYR 1.83

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.37 MYR 13.76

138.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.84 MYR 23.84

54.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.93 MYR 7.86

-41.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.07 MYR 4.36

250.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.47 MYR 6.00

121.77%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.86 MYR 7.57

124.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.63 MYR 39.28

33.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.30 MYR 13.45

329.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.46 MYR 38.59

71.46%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.47 MYR 14.16

24.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.87 MYR 7.64

-21.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.63 MYR 10.75

71.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.74 MYR 7.09

149.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.10 MYR 8.59

22.86%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.95 MYR 7.95

20.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.44 MYR 5.89

23.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.51 MYR 2.09

335.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.55 MYR 18.56

117.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-24.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.76 MYR 11.28

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.68 MYR 19.11

-26.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.70 MYR 2.86

112.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$14.01 MYR 57.1

197.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.21 MYR 4.93

125.62%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.38 MYR 1.57

336.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.96 MYR 36.55

293.97%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.86 MYR 3.52

10.47%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$42.4K MYR 172.9K

-14.97%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.6K MYR 133.1K

-17.02%

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

$229 $229

$50.1 MYR 205

356.70%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.01 MYR 32.68

641.45%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.76 MYR 109

161.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.90 MYR 159

47.15%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.94 MYR 28.30

135.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.91 MYR 20.05

190.84%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$274 MYR 1,119

448.99%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.5K MYR 42.6K

105.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.2 MYR 213

1.23%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$29.64 MYR 121

47.84%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$77.9 MYR 318

8.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$85.9 MYR 350

19.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$433 MYR 1,767

340.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$309 MYR 1,260

312.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$777 MYR 3,171

371.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$467 MYR 1,907

443.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,798 MYR 7,336

323.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,129 MYR 4,606

179.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.51

50.55%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kuala Lipis: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kuala Lipis

$309 32.9% 75.8% $965

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kuala Lipis

$250 26.6% 38.2% $155

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kuala Lipis

$85 9% 76.3% $273

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kuala Lipis

$116 12.3% 67.3% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kuala Lipis

$111 11.8% 13.6% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kuala Lipis

$49 5.2% 43.2% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kuala Lipis

$20 2.1% 66% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $433 in Kuala Lipis. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $24.00 in Kuala Lipis for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $250 per month, with Kuala Lipis cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Kuala Lipis

🕒 Local time

21:33 9:33 PM

10:33 10:33 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,000

💱 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 Kuala Lipis 15,640 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kuala Lipis

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 Kuala Lipis: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Lipis wins on cost – living expenses run 184% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuala Lipis the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,408 in Kuala Lipis to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $433 in Kuala Lipis. 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 $939 in Kuala Lipis – a 184% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Lipis runs roughly 198% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $939 in Kuala Lipis versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuala Lipis but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Lipis 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 Kuala Lipis 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 Kuala Lipis gentler on the wallet – expenses run 184% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.