Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Miri

For one person, living is cheaper in Miri: $814 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Miri
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Miri Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Miri

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$814

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $814 in Miri.

Austin, TX $2,704
Miri $814

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,247 in Miri.

Austin, TX $4,133
Miri $1,247

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,680 in Miri.

Austin, TX $5,562
Miri $1,680

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 232% more expensive than in Miri, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Miri is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.43 MYR 14.02

489.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$12.16 MYR 49.65

599.26%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.55 MYR 18.58

171.43%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.30 MYR 9.40

137.83%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.78 MYR 3.17

389.74%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.30 MYR 1.24

733.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.96 MYR 12.10

172.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.82 MYR 15.59

135.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.40 MYR 5.72

-19.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.81 MYR 7.40

108.84%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$0.94 MYR 3.85

245.74%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.50 MYR 14.27

18.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.79 MYR 19.58

198.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.10 MYR 61.6

5.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.96 MYR 8.01

-26.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.36 MYR 1.47

500.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.35 MYR 17.77

125.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$19.28 MYR 78.7

-23.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.08 MYR 12.59

-9.74%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.41 MYR 9.85

44.40%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.51 MYR 2.09

192.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$14.41 MYR 58.8

181.12%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.19 MYR 4.87

124.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.64 MYR 2.60

146.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.05 MYR 24.71

483.31%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.65 MYR 2.64

52.31%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$51.0K MYR 208.3K

-29.81%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$32.7K MYR 133.3K

-16.78%

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

$219 $219

$49.79 MYR 203

340.39%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.53 MYR 38.91

508.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$33.24 MYR 136

105.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$29.63 MYR 121

95.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$6.17 MYR 25.21

140.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.45 MYR 18.18

217.53%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$102 MYR 416

1380.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,641 MYR 27.1K

223.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$44.13 MYR 180

17.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$22.74 MYR 92.9

93.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$56.2 MYR 230

51.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$42.80 MYR 175

146.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$341 MYR 1,390

467.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$280 MYR 1,145

353.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$596 MYR 2,435

515.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$594 MYR 2,425

325.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,219 MYR 4,977

524.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$671 MYR 2,741

376.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$692 MYR 2,826

637.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.12

64.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Miri: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Miri

$280 35.2% 78% $992

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Miri

$194 * 24.4% 51.8% $209

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Miri

$96 12% 72.6% $253

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Miri

$93 11.6% 73.2% $253

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Miri

$75 9.4% 42% $54

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Miri

$39 4.8% 55.3% $48

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Miri

$21 2.6% 63.5% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $341 in Miri. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 638% 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 Miri for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $194 per month, with Miri cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Miri

🕒 Local time

05:27 5:27 AM

18:27 6:27 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

248,877

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

MYR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Miri 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Miri

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 Miri: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Miri wins on cost – living expenses run 232% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Miri the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 638% 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 $341 in Miri. 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 $814 in Miri – a 232% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Miri runs roughly 181% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $814 in Miri versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Miri but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Miri 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 Miri 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 Miri gentler on the wallet – expenses run 232% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.