Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Qapshaghay

For one person, living is cheaper in Qapshaghay: $1,085 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,400 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
53

Cost of Living Index in Qapshaghay
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Qapshaghay Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Qapshaghay

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$1,085

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $1,085 in Qapshaghay.

Austin, TX $2,698
Qapshaghay $1,085

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,623 in Qapshaghay.

Austin, TX $4,160
Qapshaghay $1,623

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $2,161 in Qapshaghay.

Austin, TX $5,622
Qapshaghay $2,161

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 149% more expensive than in Qapshaghay, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Qapshaghay is 20% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$10.91 ₸4,930

89.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.55 ₸10.2K

275.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$6.49 ₸2,932

85.98%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$1.73 ₸782

216.76%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.99 ₸445

283.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.69 ₸310

257.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.37 ₸619

487.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$1.35 ₸611

557.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.72 ₸778

-35.47%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.48 ₸216

675.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.08 ₸940

62.02%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.48 ₸1,121

74.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$12.49 ₸5,646

5.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$6.49 ₸2,934

118.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.71 ₸4,841

52.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$1.79 ₸809

154.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.39 ₸1,079

-38.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.03 ₸1,369

55.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$2.79 ₸1,262

48.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.80 ₸363

222.50%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.55 ₸249

327.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.60 ₸723

10.62%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.04 ₸471

105.77%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$1.63 ₸736

519.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$11.11 ₸5,021

36.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$1.26 ₸572

123.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$2.48 ₸1,119

38.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.16 ₸70.2

862.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$17.23 ₸7,791

137.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$0.87 ₸393

221.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.70 ₸315

128.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$4.03 ₸1,822

752.11%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.56 ₸254

67.86%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$22.5K ₸10.2M

50.71%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$29.7K ₸13.4M

-9.96%

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

$223 $223

$90.0 ₸40.7K

147.28%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$10.64 ₸4,809

453.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$18.21 ₸8,232

287.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$41.59 ₸18.8K

38.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$6.82 ₸3,083

109.09%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$146 ₸66.2K

932.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$4,474 ₸2.0M

366.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$91.5 ₸41.4K

-43.97%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$45.71 ₸20.7K

-3.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$143 ₸64.5K

-39.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$132 ₸59.6K

-20.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$450 ₸203.3K

331.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$312 ₸141.1K

321.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$721 ₸325.8K

408.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$487 ₸220.2K

426.71%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,085 ₸490.3K

578.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$872 ₸394.4K

258.66%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

20.65

-67.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Qapshaghay: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Qapshaghay

$312 28.8% 76.3% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Qapshaghay

$248 22.8% 39% $158

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Qapshaghay

$119 11% 66.2% $233

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Qapshaghay

$144 13.2% 59% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Qapshaghay

$185 17.1% 43.6% $56

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Qapshaghay

$55 5.1% 35.9% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Qapshaghay

$22 2.1% 61.7% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $450 in Qapshaghay. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $23.00 in Qapshaghay for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $248 per month, with Qapshaghay cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇿 Qapshaghay

🕒 Local time

06:10 6:10 AM

17:10 5:10 PM

11 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

42,167

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 452 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 508 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.97 EUR).

KZT to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Qapshaghay 11,750 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Qapshaghay

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 Qapshaghay: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Qapshaghay wins on cost – living expenses run 149% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Qapshaghay the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,627 in Qapshaghay 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $450 in Qapshaghay. 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 $1,085 in Qapshaghay – a 149% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Qapshaghay runs roughly 138% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,085 in Qapshaghay versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Qapshaghay but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Qapshaghay 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 Qapshaghay gentler on the wallet – expenses run 149% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.