Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Leova

For one person, living is cheaper in Leova: $1,355 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
67

Cost of Living Index in Leova
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Leova Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Leova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,355

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,355 in Leova.

Austin, TX $2,704
Leova $1,355

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,116 in Leova.

Austin, TX $4,133
Leova $2,116

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,876 in Leova.

Austin, TX $5,562
Leova $2,876

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 100% more expensive than in Leova, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Leova 1% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$10.65 MDL 189

89.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$34.19 MDL 606

148.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.46 MDL 168

30.55%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$0.86 MDL 15.27

536.05%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.49 MDL 8.77

679.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.39 MDL 6.84

541.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.62 MDL 46.35

207.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.74 MDL 48.59

228.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.74 MDL 30.91

-35.06%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.55 MDL 27.44

143.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.34 MDL 23.76

142.54%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.33 MDL 23.59

211.28%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.92 MDL 247

-6.03%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$2.28 MDL 40.39

527.63%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$4.02 MDL 71.3

297.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.36 MDL 24.17

222.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$0.88 MDL 15.60

64.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.98 MDL 17.38

363.27%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.11 MDL 19.68

277.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.50 MDL 26.65

75.33%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.59 MDL 10.50

300.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.44 MDL 7.74

300.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.99 MDL 17.57

118.18%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.74 MDL 84.0

106.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$15.20 MDL 269

-3.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.16 MDL 20.50

139.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.70 MDL 47.88

28.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.41 MDL 7.32

263.41%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$28.96 MDL 513

39.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.79 MDL 49.37

-4.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.55 MDL 9.68

187.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$3.38 MDL 59.9

944.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.37 MDL 24.34

-27.74%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.7K MDL 596.7K

6.34%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$35.4K MDL 626.7K

-23.16%

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

$219 $219

$189 MDL 3,358

15.73%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$5.80 MDL 103

899.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$21.20 MDL 376

222.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$83.8 MDL 1,485

-30.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$11.12 MDL 197

33.27%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.66 MDL 82.6

203.22%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$85.3 MDL 1,512

-39.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$55.3 MDL 981

-20.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$97.9 MDL 1,735

-13.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$115 MDL 2,038

-8.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$654 MDL 11.6K

195.64%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$545 MDL 9,651

133.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,509 MDL 26.7K

143.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,102 MDL 19.5K

129.02%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,533 MDL 44.9K

200.68%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,920 MDL 34.0K

66.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$653 MDL 11.6K

681.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.19

-5.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Leova: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Leova

$545 39.3% 57.2% $728

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Leova

$191 13.8% 52.5% $212

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Leova

$146 10.5% 58.1% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Leova

$216 15.6% 37.4% $129

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Leova

$159 11.5% 23.6% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Leova

$93 6.7% 8.1% $7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Leova

$36 2.6% 36.6% $21

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $654 in Leova. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 682% 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 $34.00 in Leova for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $191 per month, with Leova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇩 Leova

🕒 Local time

01:46 1:46 AM

09:46 9:46 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

10,900

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MDL = 5.64 USD

100 MDL = 5.03 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17.72 MDL (100 MDL = 5.64 USD). 1 EUR = 19.88 MDL (100 MDL = 5.03 EUR).

MDL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Leova 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Leova

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 Leova: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Leova wins on cost – living expenses run 100% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Leova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 682% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $654 in Leova. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Leova – a meal for two runs $34.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Leova runs roughly 40% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,355 in Leova versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Leova but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Leova 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 Leova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 100% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.