Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rawang

For one person, living is cheaper in Rawang: $741 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,100 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Rawang
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Rawang Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Rawang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$741

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $741 in Rawang.

Austin, TX $2,663
Rawang $741

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,183 in Rawang.

Austin, TX $4,133
Rawang $1,183

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,624 in Rawang.

Austin, TX $5,603
Rawang $1,624

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 259% more expensive than in Rawang, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Rawang is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.75 MYR 15.31

453.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.68 MYR 80.3

329.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.04 MYR 20.55

144.44%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.99 MYR 12.20

88.29%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.83 MYR 3.38

348.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.39 MYR 1.61

541.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.25 MYR 17.33

89.41%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.39 MYR 17.89

105.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.95 MYR 7.96

-42.56%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.04 MYR 4.26

260.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.76 MYR 7.19

85.23%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.23 MYR 9.08

87.00%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.15 MYR 57.7

-8.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.48 MYR 18.29

216.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.85 MYR 40.19

64.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.06 MYR 12.49

41.50%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.84 MYR 7.49

-20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.63 MYR 10.73

71.48%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.44 MYR 5.89

201.39%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.32 MYR 5.37

95.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.33 MYR 5.43

76.69%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.18 MYR 4.80

50.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.57 MYR 2.34

289.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.54 MYR 18.53

117.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$19.13 MYR 78.1

-21.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.96 MYR 12.09

-1.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.09 MYR 20.75

-32.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.77 MYR 3.12

93.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.31 MYR 50.2

238.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.66 MYR 6.77

64.46%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.37 MYR 1.52

348.65%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.88 MYR 28.05

413.08%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.89 MYR 3.64

6.74%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$42.4K MYR 173.0K

-14.99%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.7K MYR 141.4K

-21.88%

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

$229 $229

$36.56 MYR 149

526.34%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.78 MYR 39.90

507.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$29.31 MYR 120

138.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$39.87 MYR 163

43.57%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.13 MYR 29.08

129.03%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.90 MYR 19.99

191.43%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$301 MYR 1,227

400.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.9K MYR 44.6K

96.36%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$59.8 MYR 244

-11.63%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.75 MYR 146

22.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$82.6 MYR 337

2.64%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.9 MYR 289

45.21%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$140 MYR 569

1267.22%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$103 MYR 421

1133.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$577 MYR 2,354

535.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$232 MYR 945

995.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,051 MYR 8,368

271.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,090 MYR 4,445

189.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,035 MYR 4,223

394.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.18

62.44%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rawang: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Rawang

$103 13.9% 91.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Rawang

$266 35.9% 34.3% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Rawang

$76 10.2% 78.9% $283

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Rawang

$116 15.6% 67.2% $238

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Rawang

$112 15.1% 12.4% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rawang

$50 6.7% 42.1% $36

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Rawang

$19 2.6% 67.8% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $140 in Rawang. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 395% 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 $20.00 in Rawang for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $266 per month, with Rawang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Rawang

🕒 Local time

00:02 12:02 AM

13:02 1:02 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

50,000

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Rawang 15,750 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rawang

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 Rawang: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rawang wins on cost – living expenses run 259% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rawang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 395% 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 $140 in Rawang. 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 $741 in Rawang – a 259% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rawang runs roughly 239% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $741 in Rawang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Rawang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rawang 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 Rawang 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 Rawang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 259% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.