Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Luqa

For one person, living is cheaper in Luqa: $1,773 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,700 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
86

Cost of Living Index in Luqa
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Luqa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Luqa

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,773 in Luqa.

Austin, TX $2,663
Luqa $1,773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,738 in Luqa.

Austin, TX $4,133
Luqa $2,738

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,703 in Luqa.

Austin, TX $5,603
Luqa $3,703

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 50% more expensive than in Luqa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Luqa 31% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.40 €17.26

7.06%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$85.5 €76.1

-1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.99 €9.77

12.10%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.74 €2.44

105.47%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.09 €2.75

20.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.25 €2.00

11.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.43 €3.94

81.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.29 €3.82

110.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.19 €1.06

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.15 €1.02

226.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.54 €3.15

-7.91%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.97 €3.53

5.04%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.42 €7.49

53.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.15 €9.03

39.51%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.66 €13.93

3.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.82 €2.51

53.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.03 €1.81

-28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.04 €2.70

48.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.41 €3.03

27.27%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 €1.58

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.97 €1.75

19.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.30 €2.04

-22.61%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.88 €0.78

152.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.91 €6.15

42.98%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.88 €7.01

91.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.53 €1.36

90.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.21 €1.97

56.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.22 €1.97

-32.88%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$14.31 €12.73

191.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.44 €4.84

-49.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.17 €1.93

-23.50%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$26.71 €23.76

32.16%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.49 €1.32

-36.24%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$24.7K €22.0K

45.92%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.2K €34.9K

-30.96%

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

$229 $229

$101 €89.8

126.81%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$25.06 €22.29

136.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$33.93 €30.18

106.04%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$54.5 €48.47

5.05%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$56.0 €49.76

-70.81%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.84 €8.75

45.12%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$371 €330

305.77%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$11.1K €9,912

92.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$86.0 €76.5

-38.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.53 €36.05

8.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.1 €73.0

3.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$78.7 €70.0

30.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$801 €712

138.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$808 €719

57.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,313 €1,168

179.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,284 €1,142

97.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,858 €2,542

166.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,139 €2,792

0.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,418 €1,261

261.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.9

134.14%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Luqa: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Luqa

$808 45.6% 36.6% $466

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Luqa

$289 16.3% 28.6% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Luqa

$160 9% 55.4% $198

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Luqa

$273 15.4% 22.8% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Luqa

$129 7.3% 1% $1.3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Luqa

$74 4.2% 13.5% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Luqa

$40 2.2% 32.7% $19

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $801 in Luqa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 261% 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 $85.0 in Luqa. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $289, with Luqa cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇹 Luqa

🕒 Local time

08:58 8:58 AM

15:58 3:58 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,900

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Luqa

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 Luqa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Luqa wins on cost – living expenses run 50% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Luqa the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 261% 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 $801 in Luqa. 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 $1,773 in Luqa – a 50% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Luqa runs roughly 192% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,773 in Luqa versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Luqa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Luqa the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Luqa delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,773 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Luqa hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Luqa 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 Luqa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 50% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.