Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Perm

For one person, living is cheaper in Perm: $917 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Perm
🇷🇺 Russia
$917
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $917 in Perm.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Perm $917

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,387 in Perm.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Perm $1,387

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,858 in Perm.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Perm $1,858

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 195% more expensive than in Perm, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Perm is 32% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$8.05 ₽684
151.18%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$26.22 ₽2,229
224.29%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$6.06 ₽515
103.80%
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$2.18 ₽186
150.92%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$0.78 ₽66.7
389.74%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.40 ₽33.93
525.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
$1.21 ₽103
566.12%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
$1.55 ₽131
480.00%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.07 ₽91.3
5.61%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$0.83 ₽70.8
355.42%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.25 ₽106
160.00%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$1.28 ₽109
223.44%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$7.83 ₽666
67.05%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$5.23 ₽445
173.61%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$11.68 ₽993
36.64%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.15 ₽182
103.72%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$2.10 ₽178
-30.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$2.09 ₽178
117.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$2.29 ₽195
82.97%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.56 ₽47.90
369.64%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.44 ₽37.10
436.36%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$0.86 ₽73.0
104.65%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.82 ₽69.4
163.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$2.62 ₽222
274.43%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
$9.26 ₽787
58.96%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
$0.87 ₽74.0
219.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
$1.63 ₽139
113.50%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.52 ₽44.51
186.54%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$24.53 ₽2,085
65.14%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$1.75 ₽149
52.57%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$0.45 ₽38.66
251.11%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$4.16 ₽354
748.32%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$0.81 ₽68.7
22.22%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$40.7K ₽3.5M
-11.94%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$39.3K ₽3.3M
-30.86%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$128 ₽10.8K
71.83%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$5.68 ₽483
920.95%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$8.33 ₽708
720.65%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$27.00 ₽2,295
114.44%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$13.23 ₽1,125
12.02%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$8.30 ₽706
70.24%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$233 ₽19.8K
546.49%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$4,398 ₽373.9K
387.94%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$53.3 ₽4,534
-3.13%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$32.85 ₽2,793
34.09%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$61.9 ₽5,266
37.37%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$69.9 ₽5,943
50.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$471 ₽40.0K
310.34%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$265 ₽22.5K
380.60%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$603 ₽51.3K
508.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$479 ₽40.8K
426.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$2,358 ₽200.5K
223.07%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$1,543 ₽131.2K
107.32%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Perm
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$973 ₽82.7K
424.63%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
23.33
-70.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Perm: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Perm
$265 79.2% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Perm
$199 50.6% $204
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Perm
$123 64.8% $225
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Perm
$142 59% $204
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Perm
$98 23.8% $31
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Perm
$44 49.4% $43
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Perm
$31 46.3% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $471 in Perm. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 425% 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 $26.00 in Perm for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $199 per month, with Perm cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇷🇺 Perm
🕒 Local time
01:14 1:14 AM
11:14 11:14 AM
10 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
1,026,908
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, 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).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Perm 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Perm

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 Perm: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Perm?
Perm wins on cost – living expenses run 195% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Perm the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Perm?
Average pay runs 425% 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 Perm?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $471 in Perm. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Perm?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $917 in Perm – a 195% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Perm?
A monthly transit pass in Perm runs roughly 65% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Perm?
At $917 in Perm versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Perm but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Perm the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Perm?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Perm?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Perm are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Perm gentler on the wallet – expenses run 195% 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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