Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kuala Terengganu

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Terengganu: $924 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
Learn more

Kuala Terengganu Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $924 in Kuala Terengganu.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kuala Terengganu $924

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kuala Terengganu $1,372

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kuala Terengganu $1,821

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 188% more expensive than in Kuala Terengganu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kuala Terengganu is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.49 MYR 10.15

734.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$23.06 MYR 94.1

266.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.72 MYR 19.25

161.02%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.72 MYR 11.08

106.99%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.47 MYR 1.90

691.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.28 MYR 1.14

792.86%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.56 MYR 14.52

126.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.18 MYR 17.05

115.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.70 MYR 6.94

-34.12%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.02 MYR 4.15

267.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.28 MYR 5.22

154.69%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.13 MYR 8.68

95.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$15.66 MYR 63.9

-17.62%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.35 MYR 17.73

225.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.41 MYR 34.29

92.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.36 MYR 13.73

28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.61 MYR 6.59

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.10 MYR 8.59

114.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.50 MYR 6.13

189.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.47 MYR 6.01

75.51%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.09 MYR 4.45

115.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.00 MYR 4.09

78.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.53 MYR 2.17

318.87%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.46 MYR 18.18

121.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$17.84 MYR 72.8

-15.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.92 MYR 11.91

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.82 MYR 19.66

-28.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.67 MYR 2.75

122.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$10.62 MYR 43.31

292.84%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.27 MYR 5.20

114.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.46 MYR 1.89

260.87%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.55 MYR 26.73

438.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.90 MYR 3.65

5.56%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

-17.76%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

-15.68%

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

$229 $229

$45.25 MYR 185

406.06%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.79 MYR 35.87

575.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$25.10 MYR 102

178.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$44.04 MYR 180

29.97%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.97 MYR 32.49

104.89%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.81 MYR 19.61

196.88%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$172 MYR 701

775.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

209.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.5 MYR 235

-8.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$36.37 MYR 148

20.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$86.5 MYR 353

-1.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$68.0 MYR 278

51.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$361 MYR 1,472

428.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$312 MYR 1,275

307.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$722 MYR 2,946

407.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$471 MYR 1,923

438.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,073 MYR 8,456

267.33%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,145 MYR 4,669

175.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 Kuala Terengganu: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8% 75.5% $962

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5% 37.2% $150

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6% 77.9% $279

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4% 72.9% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1% 12.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8% 37.5% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8% 71.2% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $361 in Kuala Terengganu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $254 per month, with Kuala Terengganu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🕒 Local time

23:59 11:59 PM

12:59 12:59 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

375,424

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 19, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Kuala Terengganu 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kuala Terengganu

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 Terengganu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuala Terengganu wins on cost – living expenses run 188% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuala Terengganu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu 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 $361 in Kuala Terengganu. 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 $924 in Kuala Terengganu – a 188% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 293% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu 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 Terengganu 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 Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.