Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Taraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Taraz: $628 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,400 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
31

Cost of Living Index in Taraz
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Taraz Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Taraz

🇰🇿 Kazakhstan

$628

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $628 in Taraz.

Austin, TX $2,663
Taraz $628

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,004 in Taraz.

Austin, TX $4,133
Taraz $1,004

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,381 in Taraz.

Austin, TX $5,603
Taraz $1,381

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 324% more expensive than in Taraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Taraz is 54% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.97 ₸4,065

131.55%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$22.50 ₸10.2K

275.96%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.75 ₸3,058

82.52%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.53 ₸693

267.97%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.85 ₸384

337.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.45 ₸204

455.56%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.13 ₸512

612.39%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.81 ₸820

397.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.09 ₸492

2.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.43 ₸196

772.09%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.30 ₸590

150.77%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.68 ₸762

148.21%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.13 ₸4,591

27.34%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.19 ₸2,352

172.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.39 ₸3,803

93.33%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.15 ₸520

276.52%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.21 ₸1,000

-33.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.48 ₸1,125

81.85%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.37 ₸623

216.79%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.56 ₸252

360.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.40 ₸181

487.50%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.91 ₸412

95.60%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.84 ₸381

164.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.42 ₸1,095

308.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$4.41 ₸2,000

241.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.04 ₸470

180.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.54 ₸698

124.68%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.18 ₸82.6

727.78%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.85 ₸386

221.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.35 ₸158

374.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.07 ₸1,843

767.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.66 ₸301

43.94%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.1K ₸12.7M

28.20%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$27.6K ₸12.5M

-1.97%

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

$229 $229

$47.60 ₸21.6K

381.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$8.76 ₸3,970

577.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$9.00 ₸4,077

676.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.98 ₸16.3K

59.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.42 ₸2,001

223.08%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$58.8 ₸26.6K

2461.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$26.80 ₸12.1K

97.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$34.70 ₸15.7K

26.28%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$113 ₸51.1K

-24.76%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$52.6 ₸23.8K

95.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$270 ₸122.2K

607.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$110 ₸49.7K

1061.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$449 ₸203.7K

715.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$200 ₸90.6K

1169.52%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$865 ₸392.1K

779.93%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$611 ₸276.9K

416.62%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$272 ₸123.2K

1782.78%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

17.83

-61.92%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Taraz: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Taraz

$110 17.5% 91.4% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Taraz

$178 28.3% 56.1% $227

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Taraz

$65 10.4% 81.8% $293

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Taraz

$125 19.9% 64.7% $229

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Taraz

$102 16.3% 20.3% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Taraz

$45 7.1% 47.8% $41

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Taraz

$3.3 * 0.5% 94.3% $55

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 $1,907 in Austin, TX and $270 in Taraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1783% 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 $22.00 in Taraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $178 per month, with Taraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇰🇿 Taraz

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

15:05 3:05 PM

11 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

431,160

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Kazakhstani Tenge KZT ₸

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD

1,000 KZT = 1.96 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

KZT, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇰🇿 Kazakhstani Tenge (₸)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Kazakhstani Tenge exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 453 KZT (1,000 KZT = 2.21 USD). 1 EUR = 509 KZT (1,000 KZT = 1.96 EUR).

KZT to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Taraz 11,800 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Taraz

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 Taraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Taraz wins on cost – living expenses run 324% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Taraz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1783% 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 $270 in Taraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $58.8 in Taraz. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Taraz – a meal for two runs $22.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $628 in Taraz versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Taraz but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Taraz 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 Taraz 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 Taraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 324% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.