Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shchelkovo

For one person, living is cheaper in Shchelkovo: $912 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $21,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Shchelkovo
🇷🇺 Russia
$912
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $912 in Shchelkovo.

  • Austin, TX $2,698
  • Shchelkovo $912

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,440 in Shchelkovo.

  • Austin, TX $4,160
  • Shchelkovo $1,440

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,969 in Shchelkovo.

  • Austin, TX $5,622
  • Shchelkovo $1,969

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 196% more expensive than in Shchelkovo, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Shchelkovo is 33% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.63 $20.63
$6.01 ₽502
243.26%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$30.10 ₽2,512
180.96%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.07 $12.07
$7.70 ₽643
56.75%
Cappuccino
$5.48 $5.48
$2.86 ₽239
91.61%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.80 $3.80
$0.98 ₽82.0
287.76%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.47 $2.47
$0.60 ₽49.92
311.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$0.94 ₽78.4
756.38%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.88 $8.88
$1.47 ₽123
504.08%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.11 $1.11
$0.94 ₽78.4
18.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.87 ₽72.2
327.59%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.37 $3.37
$1.19 ₽99.2
183.19%
Eggs
$4.32 $4.32
$1.62 ₽135
166.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.13 $13.13
$9.17 ₽766
43.18%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.15 $14.15
$5.14 ₽429
175.29%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.33 $16.33
$11.94 ₽997
36.77%
Apples (1kg)
$4.55 $4.55
$1.59 ₽132
186.16%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.41 ₽118
3.55%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.71 $4.71
$1.61 ₽134
192.55%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.15 $4.15
$2.65 ₽221
56.60%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.72 ₽60.1
258.33%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.40 ₽33.64
487.50%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.77 $1.77
$1.47 ₽122
20.41%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.14 $2.14
$0.40 ₽33.32
435.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$10.10 $10.10
$2.16 ₽180
367.59%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.19 $15.19
$7.13 ₽595
113.04%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.82 $2.82
$0.78 ₽65.0
261.54%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.44 $3.44
$1.55 ₽129
121.94%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.54 $1.54
$0.49 ₽41.28
214.29%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.99 $40.99
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.80 $2.80
$2.44 ₽204
14.75%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.60 $1.60
$0.20 ₽17.09
700.00%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$34.34 $34.34
$3.58 ₽299
859.22%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.94 $0.94
$0.88 ₽73.3
6.82%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$34.0K $34.0K
$53.1K ₽4.4M
-36.01%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$26.8K $26.8K
$40.6K ₽3.4M
-34.14%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$223 $223
$106 ₽8,811
110.88%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.9 $58.9
$3.71 ₽310
1487.60%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$70.6 $70.6
$4.90 ₽409
1340.61%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.7 $57.7
$40.44 ₽3,375
42.68%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.53 $16.53
$26.67 ₽2,226
-38.02%
Cinema Ticket
$14.26 $14.26
$6.21 ₽518
129.63%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,511 $1,511
$183 ₽15.3K
724.42%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$20.9K $20.9K
$3,642 ₽304.0K
473.58%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.3 $51.3
$42.86 ₽3,577
19.62%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.17 $44.17
$23.86 ₽1,991
85.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$87.0 $87.0
$147 ₽12.2K
-40.71%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$104 $104
$119 ₽9,971
-12.66%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,940 $1,940
$516 ₽43.1K
276.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,316 $1,316
$281 ₽23.4K
368.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$866 ₽72.2K
323.32%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,565 $2,565
$543 ₽45.3K
372.38%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,354 $7,354
$2,362 ₽197.1K
211.41%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,129 $3,129
$1,410 ₽117.7K
121.90%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Shchelkovo
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,286 $5,286
-
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
20.75
-67.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Shchelkovo: October 17, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Shchelkovo
$281 78.7% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$406
Shchelkovo
$189 53.4% $217
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$352
Shchelkovo
$114 67.6% $238
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$350
Shchelkovo
$119 65.9% $231
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Shchelkovo
$150 16.1% $21
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Shchelkovo
$53 38.7% $33
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$58
Shchelkovo
$5.4 * 90.6% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $516 in Shchelkovo. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $30.00 in Shchelkovo for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $189 per month, with Shchelkovo cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇷🇺 Shchelkovo
🕒 Local time
10:01 10:01 AM
18:01 6:01 PM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 83.46 RUB (100 RUB = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 93.83 RUB (100 RUB = 1.07 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Shchelkovo 9,550 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Shchelkovo

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 Shchelkovo: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Shchelkovo?
Shchelkovo wins on cost – living expenses run 196% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shchelkovo the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Austin, TX and in Shchelkovo?
You'd need roughly $4,046 in Austin, TX and $1,368 in Shchelkovo 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Shchelkovo?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $516 in Shchelkovo. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Shchelkovo?
Childcare runs $1,511 in Austin, TX versus $183 in Shchelkovo. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Shchelkovo?
Dining out is cheaper in Shchelkovo – a meal for two runs $30.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Shchelkovo?
At $912 in Shchelkovo versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shchelkovo but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shchelkovo the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Shchelkovo?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Shchelkovo gentler on the wallet – expenses run 196% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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