Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Moscow

For one person, living is cheaper in Moscow: $1,793 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,793

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,793 in Moscow.

Austin, TX $2,704
Moscow $1,793

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,813 in Moscow.

Austin, TX $4,133
Moscow $2,813

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,833 in Moscow.

Austin, TX $5,562
Moscow $3,833

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 51% more expensive than in Moscow, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Moscow 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.81 ₽1,004

71.21%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$57.9 ₽4,925

46.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.25 ₽617

70.34%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.64 ₽310

50.27%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.65 ₽140

131.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.81 ₽68.7

208.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.72 ₽401

70.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.42 ₽461

65.87%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.25 ₽106

-9.60%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.00 ₽85.4

278.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.71 ₽146

90.06%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.91 ₽163

116.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$14.59 ₽1,241

-10.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.65 ₽566

115.19%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.46 ₽1,229

10.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.03 ₽173

115.76%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.86 ₽158

-22.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.03 ₽173

123.65%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$3.93 ₽334

6.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.93 ₽78.7

182.80%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.70 ₽59.8

237.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.55 ₽132

13.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.96 ₽81.4

125.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.41 ₽290

187.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.56 ₽983

27.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.20 ₽102

131.67%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.49 ₽212

39.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.95 ₽80.9

56.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$40.22 ₽3,419

0.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.56 ₽302

-25.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.86 ₽72.9

83.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$11.77 ₽1,001

199.83%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.90 ₽76.1

10.00%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$38.7K ₽3.3M

-7.50%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$38.0K ₽3.2M

-28.51%

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

$219 $219

$191 ₽16.2K

14.90%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$8.72 ₽741

565.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$9.98 ₽848

584.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$42.15 ₽3,584

37.37%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$45.14 ₽3,838

-67.17%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.31 ₽792

51.77%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$811 ₽68.9K

86.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$27.0K ₽2.3M

-20.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$110 ₽9,356

-53.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$63.4 ₽5,386

-30.47%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$146 ₽12.4K

-41.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$184 ₽15.6K

-42.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,469 ₽124.9K

31.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$820 ₽69.7K

55.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,026 ₽257.3K

21.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,494 ₽127.1K

68.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$9,853 ₽837.7K

-22.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,613 ₽392.2K

-30.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,741 ₽148.0K

193.22%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

19.56

-65.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Moscow: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Moscow

$820 44.7% 35.6% $453

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Moscow

$263 14.3% 34.8% $140

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Moscow

$204 11.1% 41.3% $144

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Moscow

$210 11.4% 39.4% $136

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Moscow

$226 12.3% 75.9% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Moscow

$61 3.3% 29.5% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Moscow

$52 2.8% 9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,469 in Moscow. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 193% 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 $58.0 in Moscow for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $263 per month, with Moscow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Moscow

🕒 Local time

02:13 2:13 AM

10:13 10:13 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

12,700,000 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

RUB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Moscow 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Moscow

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 Moscow: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Moscow wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Moscow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 193% 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 $1,469 in Moscow. 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 $1,793 in Moscow – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Moscow runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,793 in Moscow versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Moscow but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Moscow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Moscow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,793 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Moscow hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Moscow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.