Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ploiesti

For one person, living is cheaper in Ploiesti: $1,072 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,600 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
52

Cost of Living Index in Ploiesti
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Ploiesti Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Ploiesti

🇷🇴 Romania

$1,072

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,072 in Ploiesti.

Austin, TX $2,704
Ploiesti $1,072

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,631 in Ploiesti.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ploiesti $1,631

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,191 in Ploiesti.

Austin, TX $5,562
Ploiesti $2,191

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 152% more expensive than in Ploiesti, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Ploiesti is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$11.59 RON 54.8

74.46%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$45.91 RON 217

85.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.99 RON 37.79

54.57%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.00 RON 14.17

82.33%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.16 RON 10.21

76.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.10 RON 9.96

19.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$2.55 RON 12.05

216.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$3.31 RON 15.65

171.60%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.64 RON 7.76

-31.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.13 RON 5.34

234.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.48 RON 7.00

119.59%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.18 RON 15.05

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$7.91 RON 37.40

65.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$6.80 RON 32.16

110.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$9.35 RON 44.25

70.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.36 RON 6.41

222.06%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.73 RON 8.17

-16.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.43 RON 6.78

217.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.00 RON 9.44

109.50%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.77 RON 3.63

241.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.76 RON 3.61

210.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.65 RON 3.07

170.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.77 RON 3.66

180.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$6.12 RON 28.96

60.29%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.57 RON 31.07

124.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$0.93 RON 4.39

198.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.45 RON 6.84

140.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.85 RON 4.04

75.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$21.35 RON 101

89.74%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.64 RON 3.04

317.19%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.66 RON 3.10

139.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$6.37 RON 30.15

454.00%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.83 RON 8.64

-45.90%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.1K RON 132.9K

27.46%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.3K RON 119.7K

7.42%

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

$219 $219

$153 RON 723

43.46%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$6.32 RON 29.88

817.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$8.66 RON 40.95

689.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$43.93 RON 208

31.80%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$20.72 RON 98.0

-28.47%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$8.23 RON 38.91

71.69%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$393 RON 1,860

283.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,729 RON 27.1K

274.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$73.3 RON 347

-29.48%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$42.28 RON 200

4.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$90.8 RON 429

-6.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$95.9 RON 453

9.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$418 RON 1,975

362.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$287 RON 1,358

343.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$565 RON 2,675

549.06%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$459 RON 2,170

450.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,944 RON 9,194

291.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,236 RON 5,845

158.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$972 RON 4,596

425.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.85

-13.50%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Ploiesti: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Ploiesti

$287 26.8% 77.4% $985

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Ploiesti

$201 18.8% 50% $202

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Ploiesti

$189 17.7% 45.7% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Ploiesti

$168 15.7% 51.4% $178

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Ploiesti

$136 12.7% 5.6% $7.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Ploiesti

$60 5.6% 29.9% $26

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Ploiesti

$29 2.7% 49.7% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $418 in Ploiesti. 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 $46.00 in Ploiesti for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $201 per month, with Ploiesti cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Ploiesti

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

09:27 9:27 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

224,406

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.189 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.3 RON (1 RON = 0.189 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ploiesti 9,900 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ploiesti

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 Ploiesti: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ploiesti wins on cost – living expenses run 152% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ploiesti the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $418 in Ploiesti. 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 $1,072 in Ploiesti – a 152% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ploiesti runs roughly 90% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,072 in Ploiesti versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Ploiesti but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti 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 Ploiesti gentler on the wallet – expenses run 152% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.