Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Permet

For one person, living is cheaper in Permet: $1,185 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Permet
🇦🇱 Albania
$1,185
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,185 in Permet.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Permet $1,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,810 in Permet.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Permet $1,810

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,435 in Permet.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Permet $2,435

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 125% more expensive than in Permet, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Permet is 12% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$9.62 ALL 786
115.90%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$54.7 ALL 4,469
54.76%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$11.15 ALL 912
10.49%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.28 ALL 186
146.93%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.41 ALL 197
54.36%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.23 ALL 100
103.25%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.51 ALL 287
129.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.00 ALL 327
125.25%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.27 ALL 186
-50.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.19 ALL 97.5
215.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.39 ALL 196
36.40%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.73 ALL 305
11.80%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$12.88 ALL 1,053
0.16%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$9.02 ALL 737
56.98%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$16.90 ALL 1,382
-4.02%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.97 ALL 161
119.80%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.46 ALL 201
-40.65%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.13 ALL 174
111.74%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.87 ALL 153
132.09%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.05 ALL 85.7
145.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.28 ALL 105
83.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.50 ALL 122
18.67%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.75 ALL 61.1
196.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$4.80 ALL 393
105.83%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$10.50 ALL 858
43.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.60 ALL 131
82.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.02 ALL 165
71.29%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.48 ALL 39.26
210.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$21.52 ALL 1,760
93.87%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.64 ALL 298
-25.00%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$3.71 ALL 303
-55.26%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$18.55 ALL 1,517
90.30%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.37 ALL 194
-59.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$33.5K ALL 2.7M
7.57%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$35.8K ALL 2.9M
-24.45%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$98.8 ALL 8,078
131.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$18.56 ALL 1,517
219.99%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$19.43 ALL 1,588
259.80%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$59.6 ALL 4,869
-3.90%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.06 ALL 822
41.95%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$344 ALL 28.1K
337.60%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$8,313 ALL 679.7K
158.11%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$49.54 ALL 4,051
6.60%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$47.61 ALL 3,893
-7.96%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$119 ALL 9,740
-28.84%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$113 ALL 9,204
-8.50%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$514 ALL 42.1K
270.76%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$307 ALL 25.1K
315.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$766 ALL 62.7K
378.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$397 ALL 32.4K
539.68%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,885 ALL 154.1K
303.87%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,359 ALL 111.2K
132.24%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Permet
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.39
25.97%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Permet: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Permet
$307 75.9% $967
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Permet
$290 28.4% $115
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Permet
$137 61.8% $222
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Permet
$178 49.7% $176
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Permet
$148 15.6% $20
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Permet
$80 7.1% $6.1
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Permet
$46 22.3% $13

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $514 in Permet. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $55.0 in Permet for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $290 per month, with Permet cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇦🇱 Permet
🕒 Local time
07:04 7:04 AM
14:04 2:04 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
10,000
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 81.76 ALL (100 ALL = 1.22 USD). 1 EUR = 91.27 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Permet 9,910 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Permet

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 Permet: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Permet?
Permet wins on cost – living expenses run 125% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Permet the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Permet?
You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,777 in Permet 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Permet?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $514 in Permet. 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 Permet?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,185 in Permet – a 125% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Permet?
A monthly transit pass in Permet runs roughly 94% 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 $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Permet?
At $1,185 in Permet versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Permet but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Permet the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Permet?
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 Permet gentler on the wallet – expenses run 125% 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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