Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sungai Petani

For one person, living is cheaper in Sungai Petani: $806 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $22,300 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
39

Cost of Living Index in Sungai Petani
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Sungai Petani Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Sungai Petani

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Sungai Petani

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $806 in Sungai Petani.

Austin, TX $2,663
Sungai Petani $806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,201 in Sungai Petani.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sungai Petani $1,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,596 in Sungai Petani.

Austin, TX $5,603
Sungai Petani $1,596

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 231% more expensive than in Sungai Petani, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Sungai Petani is 40% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.43 MYR 9.93

754.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.94 MYR 69.1

399.35%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.28 MYR 17.46

187.85%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.50 MYR 10.20

125.20%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.73 MYR 2.96

409.59%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.38 MYR 1.56

557.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.67 MYR 14.99

119.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.46 MYR 18.18

102.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.84 MYR 7.52

-39.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.05 MYR 4.26

257.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.70 MYR 6.92

91.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.21 MYR 9.00

88.69%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.55 MYR 38.96

35.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.42 MYR 18.04

220.36%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.60 MYR 35.07

88.60%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.04 MYR 12.42

42.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.63 MYR 6.66

-10.43%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.62 MYR 10.68

72.14%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.42 MYR 5.78

205.63%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.06 MYR 4.34

143.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.07 MYR 4.36

119.63%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.08 MYR 4.41

64.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.57 MYR 2.33

289.47%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$4.30 MYR 17.54

129.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$19.13 MYR 78.0

-21.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.93 MYR 11.95

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.34 MYR 21.78

-35.21%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.75 MYR 3.04

98.67%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$12.48 MYR 50.9

234.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.67 MYR 6.83

63.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.41 MYR 1.66

304.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.38 MYR 30.13

378.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.48 MYR 1.95

97.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$42.1K MYR 171.8K

-14.39%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.8K MYR 146.1K

-24.41%

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

$229 $229

$37.72 MYR 154

507.08%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$9.73 MYR 39.71

510.38%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$19.90 MYR 81.2

251.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$24.69 MYR 101

131.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.83 MYR 60.5

10.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.88 MYR 11.77

395.83%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$418 MYR 1,704

260.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.8K MYR 44.1K

98.35%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$58.8 MYR 240

-10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$35.57 MYR 145

23.19%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$73.9 MYR 302

14.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.7 MYR 284

47.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$186 MYR 760

924.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$244 MYR 995

422.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$494 MYR 2,015

641.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$365 MYR 1,488

595.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,236 MYR 5,042

516.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$480 MYR 1,958

557.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$492 MYR 2,008

940.28%

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 Sungai Petani: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Sungai Petani

$244 30.3% 80.9% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Sungai Petani

$244 30.2% 39.8% $161

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Sungai Petani

$67 8.4% 81.2% $291

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Sungai Petani

$94 11.7% 73.4% $260

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Sungai Petani

$107 13.3% 16.3% $21

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Sungai Petani

$30 3.8% 64.5% $55

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Sungai Petani

$19 2.4% 67.3% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $186 in Sungai Petani. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 940% 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 $17.00 in Sungai Petani for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $244 per month, with Sungai Petani cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇲🇾 Sungai Petani

🕒 Local time

11:14 11:14 AM

00:14 12:14 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

545,053

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.219 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 16, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 16, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.58 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

MYR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Sungai Petani 15,570 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sungai Petani

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 Sungai Petani: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sungai Petani wins on cost – living expenses run 231% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sungai Petani the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 940% 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 $186 in Sungai Petani. 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 $806 in Sungai Petani – a 231% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sungai Petani runs roughly 234% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $806 in Sungai Petani versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Sungai Petani but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani 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 Sungai Petani gentler on the wallet – expenses run 231% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.