Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Penang

For one person, living is cheaper in Penang: $839 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,400 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
41

Cost of Living Index in Penang
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Penang Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Penang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$839

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $839 in Penang.

Austin, TX $2,704
Penang $839

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,314 in Penang.

Austin, TX $4,133
Penang $1,314

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,790 in Penang.

Austin, TX $5,562
Penang $1,790

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 222% more expensive than in Penang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Penang is 37% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.58 MYR 14.65

464.80%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$19.84 MYR 81.1

328.58%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.58 MYR 18.71

169.65%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.04 MYR 12.42

79.93%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.73 MYR 2.98

423.29%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.39 MYR 1.59

541.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$4.18 MYR 17.07

92.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.32 MYR 17.65

108.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.89 MYR 7.72

-40.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.08 MYR 4.42

250.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.77 MYR 7.24

83.62%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$2.23 MYR 9.11

85.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.69 MYR 56.0

-4.46%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.29 MYR 17.53

233.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$8.60 MYR 35.16

85.58%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.04 MYR 12.43

44.08%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.71 MYR 6.97

-15.20%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.67 MYR 10.91

70.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.47 MYR 6.01

185.03%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.09 MYR 4.47

141.28%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.07 MYR 4.39

120.56%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.14 MYR 4.67

54.39%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.57 MYR 2.31

278.95%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$4.62 MYR 18.89

112.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$19.29 MYR 78.9

-23.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.93 MYR 11.96

-5.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.37 MYR 21.95

-35.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.51 MYR 2.08

192.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$12.30 MYR 50.3

229.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$1.75 MYR 7.17

52.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.37 MYR 1.52

327.03%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$7.27 MYR 29.72

385.42%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.94 MYR 3.86

5.32%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$41.0K MYR 167.4K

-12.58%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$34.9K MYR 142.6K

-22.07%

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

$219 $219

$36.55 MYR 149

499.92%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$9.97 MYR 40.75

481.64%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$29.32 MYR 120

133.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$38.81 MYR 159

49.19%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$4.98 MYR 20.35

197.59%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$4.87 MYR 19.92

190.14%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$430 MYR 1,757

251.04%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

98.53%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$60.3 MYR 246

-14.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$35.26 MYR 144

24.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$83.5 MYR 341

1.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$69.8 MYR 285

50.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$402 MYR 1,643

380.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$232 MYR 950

447.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$621 MYR 2,537

491.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$410 MYR 1,678

515.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$2,212 MYR 9,045

244.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,057 MYR 4,323

202.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$943 MYR 3,855

441.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.04

68.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Penang: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Penang

$232 27.1% 81.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Penang

$258 30.1% 35.9% $145

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Penang

$113 13.2% 67.6% $235

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Penang

$76 8.8% 78.1% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Penang

$112 13.1% 13% $17

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Penang

$49 5.7% 43.7% $38

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Penang

$18 2.1% 68.5% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $402 in Penang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 441% 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 Penang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $258 per month, with Penang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Penang

🕒 Local time

00:48 12:48 AM

13:48 1:48 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

158,336

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 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 Penang 15,610 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Penang

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 Penang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penang wins on cost – living expenses run 222% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Penang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 441% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $402 in Penang. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $839 in Penang – a 222% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Penang runs roughly 229% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $839 in Penang versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Penang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Penang the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Penang delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $839 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Penang hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Penang 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 Penang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 222% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.