Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pogradec

For one person, living is cheaper in Pogradec: $816 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,600 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
40

Cost of Living Index in Pogradec
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Pogradec Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Pogradec

🇦🇱 Albania

$816

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $816 in Pogradec.

Austin, TX $2,698
Pogradec $816

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,350 in Pogradec.

Austin, TX $4,160
Pogradec $1,350

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,884 in Pogradec.

Austin, TX $5,622
Pogradec $1,884

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 230% more expensive than in Pogradec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Pogradec is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$9.82 ALL 791

110.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$39.52 ALL 3,183

113.99%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$7.57 ALL 610

59.45%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.52 ALL 123

260.53%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$1.78 ALL 143

113.48%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.65 ALL 52.0

280.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.52 ALL 122

429.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$2.75 ALL 221

222.91%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.98 ALL 160

-43.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.97 ALL 78.1

283.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.06 ALL 166

63.59%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.20 ALL 177

96.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$8.00 ALL 644

64.13%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$4.41 ALL 355

220.86%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.97 ALL 1,125

16.89%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.22 ALL 98.5

272.95%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.25 ALL 181

-35.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$1.52 ALL 123

209.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.26 ALL 102

229.37%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.94 ALL 75.8

174.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.03 ALL 83.2

128.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.04 ALL 83.6

70.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.78 ALL 62.8

174.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$4.25 ALL 343

137.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$7.98 ALL 643

90.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.22 ALL 98.0

131.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$1.87 ALL 151

83.96%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.50 ALL 40.63

208.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$18.68 ALL 1,504

119.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.73 ALL 300

-24.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.82 ALL 147

-12.09%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$18.74 ALL 1,509

83.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$2.25 ALL 181

-58.22%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$34.0K ALL 2.7M

-0.12%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$24.5K ALL 2.0M

9.16%

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

$223 $223

$61.0 ALL 4,913

264.94%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$16.58 ALL 1,335

255.25%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$17.22 ALL 1,387

309.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$35.88 ALL 2,889

60.81%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$18.68 ALL 1,504

-11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$8.43 ALL 679

69.16%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$98.2 ALL 7,910

1438.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$49.70 ALL 4,002

3.16%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$56.2 ALL 4,523

-21.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$98.3 ALL 7,916

-11.51%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$150 ALL 12.1K

-30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$185 ALL 14.9K

948.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$123 ALL 9,902

970.42%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$370 ALL 29.8K

891.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$249 ALL 20.0K

931.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,597 ALL 128.6K

360.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$1,467 ALL 118.2K

113.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$476 ALL 38.4K

1009.95%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

35.80%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Pogradec: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Pogradec

$123 15.1% 90.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Pogradec

$211 25.8% 48.1% $195

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Pogradec

$95 11.6% 73.1% $257

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Pogradec

$142 17.4% 59.4% $208

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Pogradec

$159 19.5% 23.5% $30

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pogradec

$53 6.5% 38.8% $33

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Pogradec

$34 4.1% 42.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $185 in Pogradec. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1010% 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 $40.00 in Pogradec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $211 per month, with Pogradec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇱 Pogradec

🕒 Local time

16:45 4:45 PM

23:45 11:45 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,848

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Albanian Lek ALL L

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

100 ALL = 1.24 USD

100 ALL = 1.1 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

ALL, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇱 Albanian Lek (L)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Albanian Lek exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 80.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.24 USD). 1 EUR = 90.53 ALL (100 ALL = 1.1 EUR).

ALL to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Pogradec 9,880 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pogradec

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 Pogradec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pogradec wins on cost – living expenses run 230% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pogradec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1010% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $185 in Pogradec. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $816 in Pogradec – a 230% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pogradec runs roughly 119% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $816 in Pogradec versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Pogradec but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Pogradec 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.

Expats usually find Pogradec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 230% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.