Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kuantan

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuantan: $839 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,900 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Kuantan
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Kuantan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kuantan

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $839 in Kuantan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kuantan $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,219 in Kuantan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kuantan $1,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,599 in Kuantan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kuantan $1,599

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 217% more expensive than in Kuantan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kuantan is 38% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.49 MYR 10.18

734.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$12.00 MYR 48.96

604.92%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.63 MYR 14.83

239.39%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.88 MYR 11.73

95.49%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.71 MYR 2.89

423.94%

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

$2.80 MYR 11.43

187.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.73 MYR 23.37

57.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.60 MYR 6.52

-30.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.82 MYR 3.35

357.32%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.47 MYR 5.98

121.77%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.31 MYR 5.34

218.32%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.51 MYR 38.79

35.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.28 MYR 13.36

331.71%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$4.42 MYR 18.04

266.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.03 MYR 12.35

42.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-24.35%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.73 MYR 11.12

65.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.75 MYR 7.14

148.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.72 MYR 7.03

50.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.94 MYR 7.93

21.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.76 MYR 3.12

134.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.56 MYR 2.28

296.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.38 MYR 17.85

125.57%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$19.95 MYR 81.4

-24.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.99 MYR 8.13

46.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.92 MYR 7.81

80.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.51 MYR 2.07

192.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.15 MYR 49.55

243.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.13 MYR 4.61

141.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.35 MYR 1.45

374.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.05 MYR 36.92

290.06%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.52 MYR 2.13

82.69%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.1K MYR 139.1K

5.70%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.1K MYR 134.9K

-18.16%

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

$229 $229

$49.82 MYR 203

359.63%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.06 MYR 32.86

636.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.16 MYR 98.6

189.36%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.79 MYR 162

43.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.83 MYR 27.87

139.09%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.65 MYR 18.98

207.10%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$280 MYR 1,142

437.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.2K MYR 41.8K

109.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$52.4 MYR 214

0.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$30.29 MYR 124

44.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$49.62 MYR 202

70.84%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$48.89 MYR 199

110.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$411 MYR 1,675

364.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$302 MYR 1,232

322.02%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$692 MYR 2,822

429.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$476 MYR 1,943

432.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,015 MYR 8,220

277.85%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,090 MYR 4,448

189.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$975 MYR 3,976

425.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.15

63.61%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kuantan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kuantan

$302 36% 76.3% $972

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kuantan

$212 25.3% 47.5% $192

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kuantan

$82 9.8% 77.1% $276

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kuantan

$95 11.4% 73% $258

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kuantan

$82 9.7% 36.3% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kuantan

$49 5.9% 42.8% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kuantan

$17 2% 70.9% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $411 in Kuantan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 425% 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 $12.00 in Kuantan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $212 per month, with Kuantan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Kuantan

🕒 Local time

19:52 7:52 PM

08:52 8:52 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

548,014

💱 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Kuantan 15,610 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Kuantan

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 Kuantan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Kuantan wins on cost – living expenses run 217% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuantan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 425% 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 $411 in Kuantan. 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 $839 in Kuantan – a 217% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuantan runs roughly 243% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $839 in Kuantan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Kuantan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kuantan 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 Kuantan 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 Kuantan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 217% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.