Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Putrajaya

For one person, living is cheaper in Putrajaya: $818 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
40

Cost of Living Index in Putrajaya
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Putrajaya Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Putrajaya

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$818

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $818 in Putrajaya.

Austin, TX $2,663
Putrajaya $818

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,232 in Putrajaya.

Austin, TX $4,133
Putrajaya $1,232

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,646 in Putrajaya.

Austin, TX $5,603
Putrajaya $1,646

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 226% more expensive than in Putrajaya, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Putrajaya is 39% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.78 MYR 15.41

449.47%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$18.39 MYR 75.0

359.98%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.58 MYR 18.67

169.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.86 MYR 11.68

96.85%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.80 MYR 3.28

365.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.39 MYR 1.59

541.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.66 MYR 14.92

119.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.54 MYR 18.52

98.46%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.67 MYR 6.83

-32.93%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.10 MYR 4.49

240.91%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.47 MYR 6.00

121.77%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.67 MYR 6.82

149.70%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.84 MYR 32.00

64.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.68 MYR 19.09

202.56%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.57 MYR 39.05

69.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.41 MYR 9.82

79.67%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 MYR 6.15

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.26 MYR 9.23

99.56%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.63 MYR 6.65

166.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.32 MYR 5.37

95.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.50 MYR 6.11

56.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.33 MYR 5.43

33.83%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.54 MYR 2.22

311.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.29 MYR 17.50

130.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.26 MYR 54.1

13.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.97 MYR 12.10

-1.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.12 MYR 12.74

10.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.69 MYR 2.84

115.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.45 MYR 50.8

235.10%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.96 MYR 3.92

184.38%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.48 MYR 1.96

245.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$9.93 MYR 40.51

255.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.74 MYR 3.01

28.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$42.5K MYR 173.3K

-15.12%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.5K MYR 140.7K

-21.49%

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

$229 $229

$53.4 MYR 218

329.06%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$11.10 MYR 45.29

435.05%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$22.49 MYR 91.7

210.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.53 MYR 145

61.10%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.63 MYR 39.28

69.57%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.87 MYR 19.88

193.22%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$506 MYR 2,063

197.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,463 MYR 18.2K

380.72%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$55.2 MYR 225

-4.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.63 MYR 67.9

163.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$79.9 MYR 326

6.08%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$86.9 MYR 355

18.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$348 MYR 1,420

448.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$228 MYR 932

457.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$644 MYR 2,628

468.77%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$372 MYR 1,516

582.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,622 MYR 10.7K

190.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,765 MYR 7,202

78.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,043 MYR 4,255

390.96%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.06

67.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Putrajaya: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Putrajaya

$228 27.9% 82.1% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Putrajaya

$221 27% 45.5% $184

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Putrajaya

$87 10.6% 75.7% $271

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Putrajaya

$110 13.5% 68.8% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Putrajaya

$107 13.1% 16.1% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Putrajaya

$45 5.5% 47.2% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Putrajaya

$19 2.3% 68.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $348 in Putrajaya. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 391% 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 $18.00 in Putrajaya for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $221 per month, with Putrajaya cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Putrajaya

🕒 Local time

01:52 1:52 AM

14:52 2:52 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

109,202

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

MYR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

MYR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Putrajaya 15,790 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Putrajaya

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 Putrajaya: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Putrajaya wins on cost – living expenses run 226% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Putrajaya the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 391% 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 $348 in Putrajaya. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $818 in Putrajaya – a 226% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Putrajaya runs roughly 235% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $818 in Putrajaya versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Putrajaya but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya 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 Putrajaya gentler on the wallet – expenses run 226% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.