Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Selangor

For one person, living is cheaper in Selangor: $1,020 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Selangor
Learn more

Selangor Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Selangor

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$1,020

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,020 in Selangor.

Austin, TX $2,663
Selangor $1,020

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,469 in Selangor.

Austin, TX $4,133
Selangor $1,469

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,918 in Selangor.

Austin, TX $5,603
Selangor $1,918

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 161% more expensive than in Selangor, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Selangor is 24% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.33 MYR 17.67

379.68%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.20 MYR 78.3

340.57%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.04 MYR 16.46

204.95%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.26 MYR 9.23

149.12%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.78 MYR 3.18

376.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.47 MYR 1.93

431.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.43 MYR 18.08

81.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.96 MYR 20.24

81.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.93 MYR 7.87

-41.97%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.05 MYR 4.30

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.53 MYR 6.25

113.07%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.92 MYR 7.82

117.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.26 MYR 58.2

-9.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.36 MYR 17.78

224.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.60 MYR 39.16

68.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.44 MYR 14.04

25.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.84 MYR 7.52

-20.65%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.34 MYR 9.55

92.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.59 MYR 6.49

172.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.34 MYR 5.45

92.54%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.03 MYR 4.21

128.16%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.11 MYR 4.52

60.36%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.54 MYR 2.19

311.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.50 MYR 18.35

119.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$19.53 MYR 79.7

-22.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.59 MYR 14.64

-18.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.86 MYR 19.81

-28.81%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.19 MYR 4.87

25.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.26 MYR 50.0

240.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.24 MYR 5.06

120.16%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.25 MYR 5.10

32.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.34 MYR 17.72

713.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.73 MYR 2.99

30.14%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$41.9K MYR 171.0K

-13.98%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.3K MYR 143.8K

-23.20%

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

$229 $229

$63.4 MYR 258

261.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.50 MYR 34.69

598.71%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$25.97 MYR 106

169.20%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.09 MYR 168

39.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.87 MYR 28.04

137.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.05 MYR 20.59

182.77%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$122 MYR 499

1130.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$7,175 MYR 29.3K

199.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$70.8 MYR 289

-25.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.40 MYR 169

5.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$77.1 MYR 315

9.95%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$83.0 MYR 339

24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$511 MYR 2,083

273.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$346 MYR 1,413

267.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$880 MYR 3,589

316.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$481 MYR 1,963

427.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,578 MYR 6,438

382.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$705 MYR 2,875

348.00%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,019 MYR 4,157

402.52%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.96

71.46%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Selangor: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Selangor

$346 34% 72.8% $928

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Selangor

$266 26.1% 34.2% $138

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Selangor

$98 9.6% 72.7% $260

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Selangor

$111 10.9% 68.6% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Selangor

$123 12% 4.3% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Selangor

$51 5% 40.3% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Selangor

$25 2.4% 58.2% $34

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $511 in Selangor. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 403% 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 $19.00 in Selangor for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $266 per month, with Selangor cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Selangor

🕒 Local time

02:29 2:29 AM

15:29 3:29 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

281,717

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Selangor 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Selangor

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 Selangor: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Selangor wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Selangor the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 403% 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 $511 in Selangor. 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 $1,020 in Selangor – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Selangor runs roughly 240% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,020 in Selangor versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Selangor but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Selangor 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 Selangor 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 Selangor gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.