Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lija

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,972 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 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
101

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,972

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,972 in Lija.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lija $1,972

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,209 in Lija.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lija $3,209

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,446 in Lija.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lija $4,446

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 35% more expensive than in Lija, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Lija 46% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.27 €19.81

-6.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$91.0 €81.0

-7.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$13.14 €11.69

-6.24%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.13 €2.79

79.87%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.42 €2.15

53.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.97 €1.75

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.45 €4.85

47.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.71 €5.96

34.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.33 €1.18

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.41 €1.25

165.96%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.46 €3.08

-5.78%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.22 €3.76

-1.18%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.49 €9.33

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.19 €10.84

16.16%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.21 €16.20

-10.93%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.86 €3.44

12.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.74 €2.44

-46.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.83 €3.40

17.75%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.69 €3.28

17.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.92 €1.71

34.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$3.42 €3.04

-31.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.19 €1.94

-18.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.54 €1.37

44.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.36 €5.66

55.35%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.11 €5.44

146.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.37 €2.11

23.21%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.28 €2.03

51.75%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.37 €2.11

-37.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.95 €3.52

-30.89%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.78 €1.58

-6.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$32.04 €28.50

10.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.52 €1.35

-37.50%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.8K €24.7K

29.59%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.1K €34.8K

-30.76%

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

$229 $229

$156 €138

47.16%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$31.66 €28.16

87.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.94 €25.74

141.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$70.5 €62.7

-18.75%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.36 €10.11

25.70%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$279 €248

439.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.2K €10.9K

75.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.8 €51.4

-8.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$68.0 €60.5

-35.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$111 €98.8

-23.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$130 €116

-20.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,106 €984

72.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$819 €728

55.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,794 €1,595

104.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,693 €1,505

49.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$4,111 €3,657

85.19%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,697 €2,399

17.07%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.05

67.65%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lija: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lija

$819 41.5% 35.8% $455

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lija

$343 17.4% 15.2% $61

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lija

$216 11% 39.7% $142

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lija

$313 15.9% 11.4% $40

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lija

$165 8.4% 29% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lija

$93 4.7% 8.6% $7.4

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lija

$22 * 1.1% 62% $36

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 $1,106 in Lija. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $91.0 in Lija. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $343, with Lija cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇹 Lija

🕒 Local time

14:29 2:29 PM

21:29 9:29 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,200

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lija 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lija

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 Lija: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lija wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lija the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,958 in Lija 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 $1,106 in Lija. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $279 in Lija. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lija – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,972 in Lija versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lija but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lija 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 Lija 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 Lija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.