Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lumut, Perak

For one person, living is cheaper in Lumut, Perak: $987 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,100 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
48

Cost of Living Index in Lumut, Perak
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Lumut, Perak Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lumut, Perak

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$987

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Lumut, Perak

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $987 in Lumut, Perak.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lumut, Perak $987

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,449 in Lumut, Perak.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lumut, Perak $1,449

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,910 in Lumut, Perak.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lumut, Perak $1,910

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 170% more expensive than in Lumut, Perak, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Lumut, Perak is 27% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.56 MYR 14.52

483.43%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$12.21 MYR 49.79

592.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.92 MYR 20.06

150.41%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.97 MYR 12.14

89.56%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.83 MYR 3.39

348.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.38 MYR 1.56

557.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.84 MYR 15.65

109.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.97 MYR 24.34

50.92%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.14 MYR 8.73

-47.66%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.07 MYR 4.38

250.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.02 MYR 8.25

61.39%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.46 MYR 10.05

69.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-6.66%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.38 MYR 17.88

223.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.89 MYR 40.36

64.00%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.35 MYR 13.68

29.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.83 MYR 7.45

-20.22%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.25 MYR 9.18

100.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.60 MYR 6.53

171.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.28 MYR 5.24

101.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.35 MYR 5.52

74.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 MYR 4.82

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.66 MYR 2.68

236.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.39 MYR 17.90

125.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$19.67 MYR 80.2

-23.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.51 MYR 14.31

-16.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.03 MYR 20.51

-31.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.64 MYR 2.62

132.81%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$11.47 MYR 46.78

263.73%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.23 MYR 5.03

121.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.21 MYR 4.92

37.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.92 MYR 20.06

617.48%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.2K

-14.61%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.0K MYR 138.7K

-20.37%

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

$229 $229

$61.4 MYR 251

272.77%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.79 MYR 35.87

575.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$26.41 MYR 108

164.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.77 MYR 154

51.55%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.93 MYR 28.29

135.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.12 MYR 20.89

178.91%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$303 MYR 1,236

396.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.9K MYR 52.6K

66.25%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$70.9 MYR 289

-25.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.12 MYR 168

6.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$87.5 MYR 357

-3.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$95.2 MYR 388

8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$406 MYR 1,657

369.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$299 MYR 1,222

325.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$686 MYR 2,798

434.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$475 MYR 1,940

433.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,306 MYR 9,407

230.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,183 MYR 4,824

166.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$381 MYR 1,555

1243.61%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.18

62.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lumut, Perak: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lumut, Perak

$299 30.4% 76.5% $975

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lumut, Perak

$274 27.8% 32.3% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lumut, Perak

$97 9.8% 73% $262

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lumut, Perak

$115 11.6% 67.5% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lumut, Perak

$133 13.4% 3.6% $4.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lumut, Perak

$48 4.9% 44% $38

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lumut, Perak

$21 2.2% 63.7% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $406 in Lumut, Perak. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1244% 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 Lumut, Perak for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $274 per month, with Lumut, Perak cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Lumut, Perak

🕒 Local time

21:41 9:41 PM

10:41 10:41 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

39,595

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Lumut, Perak 15,710 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lumut, Perak

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 Lumut, Perak: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lumut, Perak wins on cost – living expenses run 170% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lumut, Perak the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1244% 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 $406 in Lumut, Perak. 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 $987 in Lumut, Perak – a 170% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Lumut, Perak runs roughly 264% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $987 in Lumut, Perak versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Lumut, Perak but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lumut, Perak 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 Lumut, Perak 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 Lumut, Perak gentler on the wallet – expenses run 170% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.