Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shah Alam

For one person, living is cheaper in Shah Alam: $933 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 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
46

Cost of Living Index in Shah Alam
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Shah Alam Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Shah Alam

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$933

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Shah Alam

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $933 in Shah Alam.

Austin, TX $2,663
Shah Alam $933

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,429 in Shah Alam.

Austin, TX $4,133
Shah Alam $1,429

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,925 in Shah Alam.

Austin, TX $5,603
Shah Alam $1,925

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 185% more expensive than in Shah Alam, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Shah Alam is 31% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.72 MYR 15.19

458.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.34 MYR 78.9

337.38%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.21 MYR 17.16

192.64%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.87 MYR 11.70

96.17%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.78 MYR 3.17

376.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.39 MYR 1.58

541.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.40 MYR 13.85

136.76%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.33 MYR 17.65

108.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.79 MYR 7.29

-37.43%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.06 MYR 4.31

253.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.47 MYR 6.01

121.77%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.17 MYR 8.85

92.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.59 MYR 55.4

-5.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.36 MYR 17.78

224.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.51 MYR 38.79

70.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.53 MYR 14.38

22.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.62 MYR 6.61

-9.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.62 MYR 10.67

72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.73 MYR 7.05

150.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.25 MYR 5.08

106.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.04 MYR 8.33

15.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.43 MYR 5.82

24.48%

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

$4.33 MYR 17.66

128.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$18.85 MYR 76.9

-20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.76 MYR 11.26

5.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$4.64 MYR 18.94

-25.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.75 MYR 3.05

98.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$16.11 MYR 65.7

158.97%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.20 MYR 4.90

127.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.41 MYR 1.67

304.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.48 MYR 30.52

371.93%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.81 MYR 3.32

17.28%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$42.1K MYR 171.7K

-14.34%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$34.9K MYR 142.5K

-22.49%

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

$229 $229

$36.85 MYR 150

521.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.64 MYR 39.32

516.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.94 MYR 118

141.57%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$40.19 MYR 164

42.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$4.88 MYR 19.92

234.63%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.58 MYR 26.86

117.02%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$199 MYR 812

656.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,548 MYR 18.6K

371.77%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$57.6 MYR 235

-8.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$39.52 MYR 161

10.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$67.8 MYR 277

25.01%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$70.0 MYR 285

47.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$340 MYR 1,386

461.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$308 MYR 1,255

314.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$564 MYR 2,301

549.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$560 MYR 2,283

353.55%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,502 MYR 6,128

406.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,165 MYR 4,753

170.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,264 MYR 5,156

305.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.04

68.07%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Shah Alam: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Shah Alam

$308 33% 75.8% $966

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Shah Alam

$261 28% 35.4% $143

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Shah Alam

$75 8.1% 78.9% $283

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Shah Alam

$107 11.5% 69.7% $247

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Shah Alam

$106 11.3% 17.4% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Shah Alam

$53 5.7% 37.8% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Shah Alam

$22 2.4% 61.9% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $340 in Shah Alam. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 305% 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 Shah Alam for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $261 per month, with Shah Alam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Shah Alam

🕒 Local time

04:54 4:54 AM

17:54 5:54 PM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

812,327

💱 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 Shah Alam 15,780 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Shah Alam

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 Shah Alam: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Shah Alam wins on cost – living expenses run 185% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shah Alam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 305% 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 $340 in Shah Alam. 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 $933 in Shah Alam – a 185% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Shah Alam runs roughly 159% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $933 in Shah Alam versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shah Alam but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shah Alam 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 Shah Alam 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 Shah Alam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 185% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.