Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mamaia

For one person, living is cheaper in Mamaia: $1,038 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,500 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
50

Cost of Living Index in Mamaia
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Mamaia Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mamaia

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,038

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,038 in Mamaia.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mamaia $1,038

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,573 in Mamaia.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mamaia $1,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,108 in Mamaia.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mamaia $2,108

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 157% more expensive than in Mamaia, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Mamaia is 23% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$9.93 RON 46.98

109.16%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$45.60 RON 216

85.50%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.60 RON 35.96

62.11%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.65 RON 12.55

112.45%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.97 RON 9.34

88.83%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.80 RON 8.52

38.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.28 RON 10.77

253.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.83 RON 13.38

218.37%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.46 RON 6.92

-23.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.24 RON 5.89

202.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.68 RON 7.96

94.05%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.36 RON 15.91

24.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.27 RON 39.11

55.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.74 RON 31.88

110.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.56 RON 45.24

69.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.17 RON 5.54

270.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.58 RON 7.46

-7.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.62 RON 7.65

178.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.23 RON 10.53

94.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.81 RON 3.81

218.52%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.89 RON 4.19

164.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.93 RON 4.40

91.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.78 RON 3.67

184.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.85 RON 27.68

68.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.14 RON 29.04

145.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.06 RON 5.02

175.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.61 RON 7.62

114.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.67 RON 3.19

122.39%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$19.50 RON 92.3

113.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.71 RON 3.36

284.51%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.76 RON 3.58

118.42%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.96 RON 32.95

407.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.55 RON 7.34

-38.71%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.6K RON 130.7K

30.50%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.7K RON 131.0K

-2.19%

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

$229 $229

$146 RON 693

56.32%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.93 RON 37.52

648.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.06 RON 42.86

671.63%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.75 RON 198

37.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$18.91 RON 89.5

-13.64%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.96 RON 32.94

105.17%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$429 RON 2,027

251.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,889 RON 32.6K

211.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$69.6 RON 329

-24.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.57 RON 187

10.74%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$75.0 RON 355

12.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$93.5 RON 442

10.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$390 RON 1,845

389.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$296 RON 1,400

330.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$583 RON 2,758

528.69%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$432 RON 2,042

488.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,901 RON 8,996

300.41%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,517 RON 7,175

108.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.5

4.46%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mamaia: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mamaia

$296 28.5% 76.8% $978

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mamaia

$205 19.8% 49.2% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mamaia

$163 15.7% 54.4% $195

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mamaia

$166 16% 53% $188

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mamaia

$125 12% 2.4% $3

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mamaia

$56 5.4% 35.1% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mamaia

$27 2.6% 54.5% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $390 in Mamaia. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $46.00 in Mamaia for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $205 per month, with Mamaia cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Mamaia

🕒 Local time

17:43 5:43 PM

01:43 1:43 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

441

💱 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 Mamaia 10,100 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mamaia

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 Mamaia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mamaia wins on cost – living expenses run 157% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mamaia the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,557 in Mamaia 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 $390 in Mamaia. 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 $1,038 in Mamaia – a 157% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mamaia runs roughly 114% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,038 in Mamaia versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mamaia but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mamaia 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.

Expats usually find Mamaia gentler on the wallet – expenses run 157% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.