Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Male

For one person, living is cheaper in Male: $1,524 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,200 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
74

Cost of Living Index in Male
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Male Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Male

🇲🇻 Maldives

$1,524

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,524 in Male.

Austin, TX $2,704
Male $1,524

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,454 in Male.

Austin, TX $4,133
Male $2,454

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,385 in Male.

Austin, TX $5,562
Male $3,385

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 77% more expensive than in Male, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Male 14% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.86 MVR 90.3

245.05%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$38.10 MVR 587

123.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$9.73 MVR 150

26.93%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.73 MVR 72.9

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.78 MVR 73.7

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.49 MVR 53.8

56.73%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.63 MVR 25.14

134.36%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.31 MVR 4.80

706.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.98 MVR 30.50

-42.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.60 MVR 24.74

136.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.21 MVR 18.59

168.60%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.94 MVR 29.89

113.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.48 MVR 162

24.81%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.01 MVR 92.7

138.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.67 MVR 149

65.05%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.05 MVR 62.5

8.15%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.13 MVR 48.26

-53.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.98 MVR 61.4

14.07%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.66 MVR 41.00

57.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.02 MVR 31.10

30.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.88 MVR 28.95

25.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.12 MVR 32.75

-16.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.61 MVR 9.47

254.10%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$12.24 MVR 189

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.68 MVR 41.39

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.90 MVR 29.35

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$15.01 MVR 231

-34.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.63 MVR 9.74

136.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$30.22 MVR 466

34.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.98 MVR 30.56

34.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.90 MVR 29.35

-16.84%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$10.18 MVR 157

246.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.99 MVR 15.24

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$32.9K MVR 506.6K

8.98%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$28.8K MVR 443.6K

-5.53%

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

$219 $219

$117 MVR 1,808

87.03%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$30.56 MVR 471

89.76%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$71.8 MVR 1,107

-4.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$72.0 MVR 1,110

-19.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$34.45 MVR 531

-56.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.90 MVR 153

42.73%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$185 MVR 2,860

713.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,048 MVR 47.0K

604.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$39.25 MVR 605

31.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$49.98 MVR 771

-11.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$85.8 MVR 1,323

-0.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$51.5 MVR 794

104.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$948 MVR 14.6K

103.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$709 MVR 10.9K

79.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,035 MVR 31.4K

80.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,524 MVR 23.5K

65.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,282 MVR 35.2K

233.75%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,391 MVR 21.5K

129.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$837 MVR 12.9K

510.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-51.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Male: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Male

$709 46.5% 44.2% $563

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Male

$233 15.3% 42.2% $170

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Male

$126 8.2% 63.9% $222

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Male

$220 14.4% 36.5% $126

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Male

$102 6.7% 20.8% $27

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Male

$92 6% 6.5% $5.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Male

$44 2.9% 22.4% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $948 in Male. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 510% 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 $38.00 in Male for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $233 per month, with Male cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇻 Male

🕒 Local time

03:33 3:33 AM

13:33 1:33 PM

10 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

103,693 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Maldivian Rufiyaa MVR Rf

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 MVR = 6.49 USD

100 MVR = 5.78 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MVR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇻 Maldivian Rufiyaa (Rf)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Maldivian Rufiyaa exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 15.42 MVR (100 MVR = 6.49 USD). 1 EUR = 17.29 MVR (100 MVR = 5.78 EUR).

MVR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Male 16,070 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Male

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 Male: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Male wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Male the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 510% 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 $948 in Male. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,524 in Male – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Male runs roughly 34% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,524 in Male versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Male but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Male 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 Male 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 Male gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.