Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Nilai

For one person, living is cheaper in Nilai: $944 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,000 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Nilai
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Nilai Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Nilai

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$944

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $944 in Nilai.

Austin, TX $2,698
Nilai $944

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,408 in Nilai.

Austin, TX $4,160
Nilai $1,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,873 in Nilai.

Austin, TX $5,622
Nilai $1,873

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 186% more expensive than in Nilai, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Nilai is 30% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$3.61 MYR 14.71

471.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.70 MYR 80.4

329.29%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.16 MYR 25.13

95.94%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$3.45 MYR 14.09

58.84%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.81 MYR 3.32

369.14%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.38 MYR 1.56

550.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.56 MYR 14.54

126.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.48 MYR 18.29

98.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.73 MYR 7.05

-35.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$1.38 MYR 5.65

169.57%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.43 MYR 5.84

135.66%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.22 MYR 9.06

94.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$13.82 MYR 56.4

-4.99%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$4.32 MYR 17.61

227.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.83 MYR 40.11

66.12%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.22 MYR 13.15

41.30%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.69 MYR 6.91

-13.61%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.47 MYR 10.07

90.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.55 MYR 6.33

167.74%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.28 MYR 5.21

101.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.29 MYR 5.27

82.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.18 MYR 4.81

50.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.56 MYR 2.29

282.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$4.97 MYR 20.29

103.22%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$20.83 MYR 85.0

-27.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.60 MYR 10.60

8.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.35 MYR 17.75

-20.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.73 MYR 2.99

110.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$13.51 MYR 55.1

203.40%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.12 MYR 4.57

150.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.52 MYR 2.11

207.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$8.45 MYR 34.46

306.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.96 MYR 3.93

-2.08%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$42.8K MYR 174.4K

-20.54%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$30.6K MYR 125.0K

-12.67%

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

$223 $223

$49.33 MYR 201

351.35%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$9.58 MYR 39.06

514.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$28.03 MYR 114

151.84%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$36.98 MYR 151

56.03%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$6.36 MYR 25.94

159.91%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$4.79 MYR 19.55

197.70%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$186 MYR 759

712.27%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$6,358 MYR 25.9K

228.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$49.57 MYR 202

3.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$37.46 MYR 153

17.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$75.4 MYR 308

15.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$81.2 MYR 331

28.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$382 MYR 1,558

408.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$297 MYR 1,210

343.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$665 MYR 2,715

450.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$477 MYR 1,947

437.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$2,219 MYR 9,052

231.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$979 MYR 3,993

219.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$1,393 MYR 5,683

279.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.06

67.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Nilai: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Nilai

$297 31.4% 77.5% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Nilai

$263 27.9% 35.1% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Nilai

$87 9.2% 75.3% $265

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Nilai

$120 12.8% 65.6% $230

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Nilai

$110 11.6% 15.1% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Nilai

$47 4.9% 46% $40

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Nilai

$20 2.1% 65.2% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $382 in Nilai. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 279% 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 $20.00 in Nilai for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $263 per month, with Nilai cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Nilai

🕒 Local time

16:57 4:57 PM

05:57 5:57 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

38,612

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

MYR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Nilai 15,790 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Nilai

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 Nilai: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Nilai wins on cost – living expenses run 186% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Nilai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 279% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $382 in Nilai. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $944 in Nilai – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Nilai runs roughly 203% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $944 in Nilai versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Nilai but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Nilai 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 Nilai 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 Nilai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.