Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Murmansk

For one person, living is cheaper in Murmansk: $1,033 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Murmansk
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Murmansk Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Murmansk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,033 in Murmansk.

Austin, TX $2,663
Murmansk $1,033

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,618 in Murmansk.

Austin, TX $4,133
Murmansk $1,618

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,204 in Murmansk.

Austin, TX $5,603
Murmansk $2,204

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 158% more expensive than in Murmansk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.69 ₽976

77.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$36.34 ₽3,033

132.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.17 ₽515

99.68%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.77 ₽232

103.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.10 ₽92.0

238.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.58 ₽48.30

331.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.56 ₽130

416.03%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.69 ₽224

234.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.11 ₽92.9

0.90%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.75 ₽62.9

400.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.35 ₽113

141.48%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.55 ₽129

169.03%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.10 ₽926

16.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.20 ₽434

172.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.53 ₽962

40.68%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.66 ₽139

160.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.60 ₽133

-8.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.04 ₽170

121.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.80 ₽234

55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.87 ₽72.9

196.55%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.62 ₽51.4

279.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.12 ₽93.2

58.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.76 ₽63.6

192.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$3.24 ₽270

204.94%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.96 ₽581

116.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.10 ₽92.0

165.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.11 ₽176

63.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.57 ₽47.24

161.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$30.22 ₽2,522

38.05%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.11 ₽176

29.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.35 ₽29.55

374.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.74 ₽479

514.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.82 ₽68.2

15.85%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.2K ₽2.9M

2.30%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.8K ₽2.7M

-17.50%

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

$229 $229

$123 ₽10.3K

85.85%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.90 ₽493

906.61%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$8.23 ₽687

749.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$34.55 ₽2,884

65.67%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.90 ₽2,245

-39.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.29 ₽525

127.03%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$385 ₽32.1K

290.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,488 ₽458.0K

290.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$79.0 ₽6,593

-33.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$52.5 ₽4,379

-16.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$121 ₽10.1K

-30.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$104 ₽8,704

-1.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$488 ₽40.7K

290.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$281 ₽23.5K

353.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$908 ₽75.7K

303.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$509 ₽42.5K

398.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,056 ₽171.6K

270.39%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,314 ₽109.6K

140.36%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

21.45

-68.34%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Murmansk: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Murmansk

$281 27.2% 77.9% $993

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Murmansk

$205 19.9% 49.3% $199

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Murmansk

$137 13.3% 61.7% $221

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Murmansk

$165 16% 53.3% $189

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Murmansk

$161 15.6% 25.6% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Murmansk

$47 4.6% 45.1% $39

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Murmansk

$36 3.5% 38% $22

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $488 in Murmansk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $36.00 in Murmansk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $205 per month, with Murmansk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Murmansk

🕒 Local time

04:06 4:06 AM

12:06 12:06 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

282,851

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 RUB = 1.2 USD

100 RUB = 1.07 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

RUB to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Murmansk 8,280 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Murmansk

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 Murmansk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Murmansk wins on cost – living expenses run 158% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Murmansk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,550 in Murmansk 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 $488 in Murmansk. 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 $1,033 in Murmansk – a 158% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Murmansk runs roughly 38% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,033 in Murmansk versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Murmansk but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Murmansk 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 Murmansk 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 Murmansk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 158% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.