Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Orhei

For one person, living is cheaper in Orhei: $361 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,600 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
34

Cost of Living Index in Orhei
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Orhei Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Orhei

🇲🇩 Moldova

$361

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $361 in Orhei.

Austin, TX $2,663
Orhei $361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $588 in Orhei.

Austin, TX $4,133
Orhei $588

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $816 in Orhei.

Austin, TX $5,603
Orhei $816

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 638% more expensive than in Orhei, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Orhei is 73% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.28 MDL 200

84.13%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.16 MDL 394

281.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.09 MDL 126

73.77%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.38 MDL 24.58

307.97%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.78 MDL 13.87

376.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.47 MDL 8.34

431.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.14 MDL 20.21

606.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.39 MDL 24.66

548.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 MDL 17.61

13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.33 MDL 5.85

1036.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.96 MDL 34.87

112.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.92 MDL 34.18

-23.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.67 MDL 11.92

285.07%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.52 MDL 9.21

326.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.16 MDL 2.84

831.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.11 MDL 19.70

145.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.68 MDL 29.76

-43.45%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$20.5K MDL 363.9K

32.15%

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

$229 $229

$59.2 MDL 1,052

286.55%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.67 MDL 118

790.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.97 MDL 177

601.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$3.37 MDL 59.8

323.74%

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$33.84 MDL 601

56.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$33.59 MDL 597

30.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$107 MDL 1,904

-20.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$33.84 MDL 601

204.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Orhei: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Orhei

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Orhei

$41 * 11.3% 89.9% $364

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Orhei

$76 21% 78.8% $282

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Orhei

$142 39.3% 60% $212

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Orhei

$94 26% 26.7% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Orhei

$6.7 * 1.9% 92.2% $79

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Orhei

$1.8 * 0.5% 97% $57

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $22.00 in Orhei for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $41.00 per month, with Orhei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇩 Orhei

🕒 Local time

22:22 10:22 PM

06:22 6:22 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

24,918

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Moldovan Leu MDL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MDL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

MDL to USD in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Orhei 9,870 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Orhei

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 Orhei: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Orhei wins on cost – living expenses run 638% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Orhei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $541 in Orhei 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.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $361 in Orhei – a 638% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 890% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $361 in Orhei versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Orhei but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Orhei 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 Orhei 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 Orhei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 638% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.