Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Oskemen

For one person, living is cheaper in Oskemen: $897 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Oskemen
🇰🇿 Kazakhstan
$897
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $897 in Oskemen.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Oskemen $897

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,498 in Oskemen.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Oskemen $1,498

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,099 in Oskemen.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Oskemen $2,099

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 201% more expensive than in Oskemen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Oskemen is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$12.96 ₸5,835
56.02%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$26.65 ₸12.0K
219.06%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$3.96 ₸1,784
211.87%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$3.41 ₸1,534
60.41%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$1.02 ₸457
274.51%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.58 ₸263
331.03%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$1.57 ₸709
413.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$1.68 ₸755
435.12%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.41 ₸636
-19.86%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$0.50 ₸223
656.00%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.29 ₸579
151.94%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$1.72 ₸773
140.70%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$10.25 ₸4,614
27.61%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$5.73 ₸2,581
149.74%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$7.97 ₸3,586
100.25%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.15 ₸516
280.87%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.98 ₸892
-26.77%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.61 ₸1,174
73.95%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.52 ₸1,133
66.27%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.89 ₸399
195.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.49 ₸219
381.63%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$0.31 ₸142
467.74%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$1.05 ₸471
105.71%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$2.13 ₸960
360.56%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$4.95 ₸2,227
197.37%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$1.45 ₸652
91.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.66 ₸746
109.64%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.26 ₸117
473.08%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.08 ₸485
147.22%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$0.30 ₸133
426.67%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$2.34 ₸1,052
1408.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$0.68 ₸305
45.59%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$32.3K ₸14.5M
10.98%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$30.1K ₸13.5M
-9.64%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$45.73 ₸20.6K
379.49%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$11.11 ₸5,003
421.96%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$22.78 ₸10.3K
200.09%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$26.16 ₸11.8K
121.33%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$19.98 ₸8,993
-25.83%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$5.02 ₸2,259
181.47%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$66.5 ₸30.0K
2167.96%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$2,760 ₸1.2M
677.50%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$115 ₸51.7K
-55.06%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$80.4 ₸36.2K
-45.20%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$98.0 ₸44.1K
-13.21%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$122 ₸55.0K
-13.84%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$341 ₸153.4K
467.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$224 ₸101.0K
467.34%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$650 ₸292.7K
464.40%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$576 ₸259.2K
338.57%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$1,118 ₸503.5K
581.03%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$810 ₸364.8K
294.83%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Oskemen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$794 ₸357.5K
542.84%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
19.5
-65.18%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Oskemen: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Oskemen
$224 82.4% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Oskemen
$193 52.1% $210
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Oskemen
$174 50% $174
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Oskemen
$80 77% $266
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Oskemen
$187 45.3% $58
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Oskemen
$36 58% $50
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Oskemen
$3.6 * 93.7% $53

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $341 in Oskemen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 543% 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 $27.00 in Oskemen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $193 per month, with Oskemen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇰🇿 Oskemen
🕒 Local time
21:49 9:49 PM
08:49 8:49 AM
11 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
354,770
Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 450 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.22 USD). 1 EUR = 505 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.98 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Oskemen 11,100 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Oskemen

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 Oskemen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Oskemen?
Oskemen wins on cost – living expenses run 201% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Oskemen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Oskemen?
Average pay runs 543% 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 Oskemen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $341 in Oskemen. 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 Oskemen?
Childcare runs $1,509 in Austin, TX versus $66.5 in Oskemen. 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 Oskemen?
Dining out is cheaper in Oskemen – a meal for two runs $27.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Oskemen?
At $897 in Oskemen versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Oskemen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Oskemen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Oskemen?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Oskemen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 201% 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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