Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lugoj

For one person, living is cheaper in Lugoj: $772 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 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
38

Cost of Living Index in Lugoj
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Lugoj Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lugoj

🇷🇴 Romania

$772

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $772 in Lugoj.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lugoj $772

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,207 in Lugoj.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lugoj $1,207

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,642 in Lugoj.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lugoj $1,642

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 245% more expensive than in Lugoj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Lugoj is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.36 RON 44.29

121.90%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.83 RON 155

157.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.24 RON 24.79

135.11%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.75 RON 8.29

221.71%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.55 RON 7.32

140.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.44 RON 6.79

73.61%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.14 RON 10.14

276.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.95 RON 9.24

362.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.62 RON 7.67

-30.86%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.90 RON 4.24

316.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.65 RON 3.06

401.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.26 RON 5.97

230.95%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$3.29 RON 15.57

292.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.94 RON 18.63

259.39%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$4.20 RON 19.88

286.19%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.07 RON 5.04

304.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.29 RON 6.09

13.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.66 RON 7.84

171.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.65 RON 3.09

567.69%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.62 RON 2.92

316.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.66 RON 3.12

256.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.98 RON 4.62

81.63%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.61 RON 2.91

263.93%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.68 RON 22.15

111.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.16 RON 19.68

262.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.24 RON 5.86

135.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.70 RON 8.06

103.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.66 RON 3.10

125.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$20.60 RON 97.5

102.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.81 RON 3.83

237.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.91 RON 4.29

82.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$8.57 RON 40.56

311.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.91 RON 9.04

-50.26%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.1K RON 133.0K

28.23%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.8K RON 117.5K

8.98%

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

$229 $229

$53.3 RON 252

329.87%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.65 RON 40.91

586.59%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.58 RON 45.31

629.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$20.93 RON 99.0

173.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$24.75 RON 117

-34.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.36 RON 44.27

52.56%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$578 RON 2,734

160.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,518 RON 45.0K

125.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$88.9 RON 421

-40.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.93 RON 222

-6.63%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$97.7 RON 462

-13.23%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$107 RON 507

-3.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$182 RON 860

949.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$211 RON 997

504.37%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$313 RON 1,483

1069.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$316 RON 1,497

702.44%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,301 RON 6,155

485.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,055 RON 4,993

199.18%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$936 RON 4,429

446.97%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.8

-0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lugoj: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lugoj

$211 27.3% 83.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lugoj

$130 16.9% 67.8% $274

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lugoj

$72 9.3% 80% $287

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lugoj

$138 17.9% 61% $216

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lugoj

$153 19.9% 19.8% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lugoj

$40 5.1% 53.8% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lugoj

$29 3.7% 51.3% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $182 in Lugoj. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 447% 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 $33.00 in Lugoj for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $130 per month, with Lugoj cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Lugoj

🕒 Local time

17:17 5:17 PM

01:17 1:17 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

49,742

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lugoj 9,610 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lugoj

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 Lugoj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lugoj wins on cost – living expenses run 245% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lugoj the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 447% 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 $182 in Lugoj. 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 $772 in Lugoj – a 245% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lugoj runs roughly 103% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $772 in Lugoj versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lugoj but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lugoj 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 Lugoj 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 Lugoj gentler on the wallet – expenses run 245% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.