Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Langkawi

For one person, living is cheaper in Langkawi: $537 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,500 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Langkawi
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Langkawi Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Langkawi

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$537

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $537 in Langkawi.

Austin, TX $2,663
Langkawi $537

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $770 in Langkawi.

Austin, TX $4,133
Langkawi $770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,003 in Langkawi.

Austin, TX $5,603
Langkawi $1,003

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 396% more expensive than in Langkawi, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Langkawi is 60% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.27 MYR 13.33

535.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.71 MYR 80.4

329.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.38 MYR 26.04

93.10%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.65 MYR 6.72

241.21%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.82 MYR 3.36

353.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.53 MYR 2.18

371.70%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.72 MYR 7.03

368.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.26 MYR 9.22

298.67%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.74 MYR 7.10

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.31 MYR 5.36

186.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.79 MYR 7.30

132.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$17.48 MYR 71.3

-26.20%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.02 MYR 8.23

114.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.99 MYR 4.05

47.47%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.68 MYR 6.86

168.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.67 MYR 6.83

159.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.76 MYR 3.09

209.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.69 MYR 15.04

167.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$8.82 MYR 35.99

70.98%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.94 MYR 3.82

210.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.19 MYR 4.87

190.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.88 MYR 3.57

7.95%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.4K MYR 99.6K

47.65%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

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

$229 $229

$36.65 MYR 149

524.80%

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

$59.4 $59.4

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$24.82 MYR 101

130.62%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$308 MYR 1,255

520.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$244 MYR 997

421.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$374 MYR 1,528

878.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$320 MYR 1,304

694.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,168 MYR 4,764

551.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,240 MYR 5,059

312.87%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Langkawi: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Langkawi

$244 45.5% 80.8% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Langkawi

$148 * 27.5% 63.5% $257

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Langkawi

$37 * 6.8% 89.8% $322

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Langkawi

$84 15.6% 76.4% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Langkawi

- * 0% 100%

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Langkawi

$25 * 4.6% 71.1% $61

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Langkawi

- * 0% 100%

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 $308 in Langkawi. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 313% 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 $20.00 in Langkawi for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $148 per month, with Langkawi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Langkawi

🕒 Local time

14:51 2:51 PM

03:51 3:51 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

30,212

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Langkawi 15,530 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Langkawi

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 Langkawi: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Langkawi wins on cost – living expenses run 396% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Langkawi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 313% 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 $308 in Langkawi. 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 $537 in Langkawi – a 396% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 174% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $537 in Langkawi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Langkawi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Langkawi 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 Langkawi 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 Langkawi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 396% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.