Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Satu Mare

For one person, living is cheaper in Satu Mare: $922 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 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
45

Cost of Living Index in Satu Mare
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Satu Mare Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Satu Mare

🇷🇴 Romania

$922

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Satu Mare

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $922 in Satu Mare.

Austin, TX $2,663
Satu Mare $922

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,392 in Satu Mare.

Austin, TX $4,133
Satu Mare $1,392

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,862 in Satu Mare.

Austin, TX $5,603
Satu Mare $1,862

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 189% more expensive than in Satu Mare, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Satu Mare is 32% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.30 RON 39.26

150.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$32.02 RON 152

164.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.23 RON 29.50

97.75%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.48 RON 11.73

127.02%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$1.49 RON 7.07

149.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.30 RON 6.14

92.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.90 RON 8.98

323.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.46 RON 11.65

266.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.12 RON 5.29

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.02 RON 4.83

267.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.15 RON 5.42

183.48%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.66 RON 12.58

56.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.03 RON 33.24

83.50%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.34 RON 34.71

92.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.74 RON 50.8

51.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.08 RON 5.12

300.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.33 RON 6.29

9.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.23 RON 5.82

266.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.41 RON 6.66

207.80%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.16 RON 5.51

122.41%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.34 RON 6.32

75.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.94 RON 4.47

89.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.69 RON 3.26

221.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.31 RON 25.11

86.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.17 RON 29.18

144.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.21 RON 5.73

141.32%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.76 RON 8.33

96.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.54 RON 2.57

175.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$23.25 RON 110

79.44%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.84 RON 4.00

225.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.82 RON 3.90

102.44%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.93 RON 37.54

345.15%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.56 RON 7.36

-39.10%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$22.3K RON 105.4K

61.75%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.6K RON 116.6K

9.87%

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

$229 $229

$123 RON 581

86.57%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.13 RON 33.74

732.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$7.26 RON 34.37

862.95%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.96 RON 199

36.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$10.54 RON 49.84

54.93%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.11 RON 28.92

133.72%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$154 RON 728

878.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,826 RON 18.1K

460.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$60.6 RON 287

-12.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$27.58 RON 130

58.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$83.9 RON 397

1.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.6 RON 334

45.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$327 RON 1,545

483.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$259 RON 1,226

391.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$654 RON 3,093

460.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$402 RON 1,904

530.69%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$984 RON 4,654

674.07%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,043 RON 4,937

202.57%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$650 RON 3,076

687.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.05

-3.69%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Satu Mare: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Satu Mare

$259 28.1% 79.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Satu Mare

$192 20.8% 52.5% $213

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Satu Mare

$137 14.9% 61.7% $221

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Satu Mare

$140 15.2% 60.3% $213

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Satu Mare

$109 11.8% 14.7% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Satu Mare

$54 5.9% 36.8% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Satu Mare

$30 3.3% 48.2% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $327 in Satu Mare. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 688% 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 $32.00 in Satu Mare for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $192 per month, with Satu Mare cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Satu Mare

🕒 Local time

14:03 2:03 PM

22:03 10:03 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

102,411

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Satu Mare 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Satu Mare

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 Satu Mare: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Satu Mare wins on cost – living expenses run 189% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Satu Mare the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 688% 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 $327 in Satu Mare. 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 $922 in Satu Mare – a 189% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Satu Mare runs roughly 79% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $922 in Satu Mare versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Satu Mare but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare 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 Satu Mare gentler on the wallet – expenses run 189% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.