Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sibu

For one person, living is cheaper in Sibu: $866 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
43

Cost of Living Index in Sibu
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Sibu Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Sibu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$866

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $866 in Sibu.

Austin, TX $2,698
Sibu $866

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $1,293 in Sibu.

Austin, TX $4,160
Sibu $1,293

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $1,720 in Sibu.

Austin, TX $5,622
Sibu $1,720

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 212% more expensive than in Sibu, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 99% above, Sibu is 36% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$2.16 MYR 8.82

855.09%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.47 MYR 79.4

334.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$4.21 MYR 17.18

186.70%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$2.38 MYR 9.70

130.25%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$0.67 MYR 2.74

467.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$0.23 MYR 0.93

973.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.92 MYR 11.92

175.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$4.40 MYR 17.96

101.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.80 MYR 7.33

-38.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$0.89 MYR 3.65

317.98%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$1.67 MYR 6.80

101.80%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$2.24 MYR 9.16

92.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$11.65 MYR 47.53

12.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$3.84 MYR 15.66

268.49%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$9.69 MYR 39.55

68.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.72 MYR 15.16

22.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.53 MYR 6.26

-4.58%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$2.34 MYR 9.55

101.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$1.38 MYR 5.62

200.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.12 MYR 4.58

130.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.30 MYR 5.29

80.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$1.17 MYR 4.76

51.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$0.54 MYR 2.22

296.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$4.53 MYR 18.48

122.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$18.28 MYR 74.6

-16.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.85 MYR 11.64

-1.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$4.51 MYR 18.38

-23.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$0.83 MYR 3.40

85.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$13.85 MYR 56.5

195.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$1.40 MYR 5.70

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$0.54 MYR 2.18

196.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$8.01 MYR 32.68

328.71%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$0.80 MYR 3.28

17.50%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$49.1K MYR 200.3K

-30.80%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$35.6K MYR 145.4K

-24.91%

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

$223 $223

$49.59 MYR 202

348.98%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$7.14 MYR 29.14

724.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$26.47 MYR 108

166.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$26.94 MYR 110

114.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$6.44 MYR 26.26

156.68%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$3.74 MYR 15.24

281.28%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$181 MYR 739

733.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$6,906 MYR 28.2K

202.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$55.4 MYR 226

-7.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$30.48 MYR 124

44.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$89.2 MYR 364

-2.47%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$75.2 MYR 307

38.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$340 MYR 1,386

470.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$282 MYR 1,150

366.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$597 MYR 2,437

513.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$451 MYR 1,841

468.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$1,782 MYR 7,272

312.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$966 MYR 3,941

223.91%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$496 MYR 2,021

966.83%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.06

67.24%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Sibu: October 18, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Sibu

$282 32.6% 78.6% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Sibu

$247 28.5% 39.2% $159

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Sibu

$83 9.6% 76.4% $269

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Sibu

$85 9.9% 75.6% $265

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Sibu

$113 13% 12.7% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sibu

$34 4% 60.1% $52

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Sibu

$21 2.5% 63.3% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $340 in Sibu. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 967% 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 Sibu for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $247 per month, with Sibu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Sibu

🕒 Local time

11:54 11:54 AM

00:54 12:54 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

198,239

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 20, 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 Sibu 15,220 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sibu

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 Sibu: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sibu wins on cost – living expenses run 212% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sibu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 967% 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $340 in Sibu. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $866 in Sibu – a 212% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sibu runs roughly 196% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $866 in Sibu versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Sibu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sibu 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 Sibu 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 Sibu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 212% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.