Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Msida

For one person, living is cheaper in Msida: $1,778 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Msida
🇲🇹 Malta
$1,778
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,778 in Msida.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Msida $1,778

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,648 in Msida.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Msida $2,648

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,519 in Msida.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Msida $3,519

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Msida 32% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$11.27 €10.03
84.29%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$49.46 €43.99
71.03%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.92 €9.72
12.82%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.19 €1.95
157.08%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.17 €1.93
71.43%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.09 €0.97
129.36%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$4.64 €4.13
73.49%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$3.29 €2.92
173.86%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.13 €1.00
-0.88%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.36 €1.21
175.74%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$4.20 €3.74
-22.38%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.66 €2.36
56.77%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$8.11 €7.21
59.06%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$10.22 €9.09
38.55%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$18.25 €16.23
-11.12%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$4.10 €3.65
5.61%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.80 €2.49
-47.86%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$3.60 €3.20
25.28%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.38 €3.01
28.40%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.52 €2.24
2.38%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.00 €1.78
17.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.28 €2.03
-21.93%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.36 €1.21
63.24%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$6.63 €5.90
49.02%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$8.16 €7.26
84.80%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.74 €1.55
67.82%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.42 €2.16
42.98%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.20 €1.95
-32.27%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$5.67 €5.04
-51.85%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.19 €1.95
-24.20%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$26.74 €23.79
32.01%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.48 €1.31
-35.81%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$37.2K €33.1K
-3.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$39.1K €34.8K
-30.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$83.7 €74.4
173.75%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$25.23 €22.44
135.39%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$27.58 €24.53
153.48%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$56.2 €50.0
1.80%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.01 €8.91
42.66%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$371 €330
305.68%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$10.9K €9,724
96.28%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$85.9 €76.4
-38.52%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$40.53 €36.06
8.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$97.8 €87.0
-13.31%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$77.3 €68.7
33.33%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,033 €919
84.58%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$895 €796
42.41%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,758 €1,564
108.43%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,479 €1,315
71.64%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Msida
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,714 €2,414
88.70%
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 Msida: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Msida
$895 29.8% $379
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Msida
$318 21.4% $87
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Msida
$136 61.9% $222
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Msida
$192 45.7% $162
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Msida
$136 6% $7.7
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Msida
$76 11.1% $9.5
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Msida
$25 * 56.7% $33

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,033 in Msida. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 89% 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 $49.00 in Msida for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $318 per month, with Msida cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇲🇹 Msida
🕒 Local time
11:29 11:29 AM
18:29 6:29 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
8,000
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Msida 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Msida

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 Msida: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Msida?
Msida 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 Msida the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Msida?
Average pay runs 89% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Msida?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,033 in Msida. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Msida?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $371 in Msida. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Msida?
Dining out is cheaper in Msida – a meal for two runs $49.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Msida?
At $1,778 in Msida versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Msida but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Msida the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Msida?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Msida?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Msida are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Msida 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.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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