Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Penza

For one person, living is cheaper in Penza: $774 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
35

Cost of Living Index in Penza
Learn more

Penza Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Penza

🇷🇺 Russia

$774

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $774 in Penza.

Austin, TX $2,663
Penza $774

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,219 in Penza.

Austin, TX $4,133
Penza $1,219

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,664 in Penza.

Austin, TX $5,603
Penza $1,664

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 244% more expensive than in Penza, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Penza is 43% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.50 ₽709

144.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$35.64 ₽2,974

137.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.47 ₽623

64.93%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.42 ₽286

64.62%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.02 ₽85.4

264.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.69 ₽57.6

262.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.20 ₽184

265.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.71 ₽226

232.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.03 ₽86.2

8.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.50 ₽41.35

650.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.48 ₽123

181.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.31 ₽1,111

-3.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.08 ₽341

247.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.87 ₽72.5

155.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.44 ₽203

304.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.08 ₽758

66.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.99 ₽82.5

194.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.43 ₽203

42.39%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.34 ₽28.61

338.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.48 ₽207

10.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.23 ₽19.05

621.74%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$14.24 ₽1,189

147.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.88 ₽73.3

7.95%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$36.9K ₽3.1M

-2.32%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$41.2K ₽3.4M

-34.27%

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

$229 $229

$81.8 ₽6,825

180.04%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$6.46 ₽539

819.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$10.89 ₽909

541.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$82.8 ₽6,906

-30.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.34 ₽529

125.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$353 ₽29.5K

326.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$157 ₽13.1K

-66.39%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$72.1 ₽6,017

-39.21%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$334 ₽27.8K

471.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$196 ₽16.4K

549.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$474 ₽39.6K

672.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$380 ₽31.7K

568.21%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,226 ₽185.8K

242.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,072 ₽89.4K

194.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$601 ₽50.2K

752.17%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-71.71%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Penza: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Penza

$196 25.4% 84.6% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Penza

$120 * 15.5% 70.4% $285

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Penza

$99 12.8% 72.3% $259

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Penza

$155 20% 56.3% $199

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Penza

$103 * 13.3% 19.4% $25

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Penza

$95 12.3% 11.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Penza

$5 * 0.6% 91.5% $54

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $334 in Penza. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 752% 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 $36.00 in Penza for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $120 per month, with Penza cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Penza

🕒 Local time

23:22 11:22 PM

07:22 7:22 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

509,513

💱 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Penza 10,060 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Penza

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 Penza: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Penza wins on cost – living expenses run 244% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Penza the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 752% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $334 in Penza. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $353 in Penza. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Penza – a meal for two runs $36.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $774 in Penza versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Penza but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Penza 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 Penza 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 Penza gentler on the wallet – expenses run 244% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.