Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Targu Frumos

For one person, living is cheaper in Targu Frumos: $998 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
49

Cost of Living Index in Targu Frumos
Learn more

Targu Frumos Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Targu Frumos

🇷🇴 Romania

$998

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Targu Frumos

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $998 in Targu Frumos.

Austin, TX $2,663
Targu Frumos $998

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,521 in Targu Frumos.

Austin, TX $4,133
Targu Frumos $1,521

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,043 in Targu Frumos.

Austin, TX $5,603
Targu Frumos $2,043

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 167% more expensive than in Targu Frumos, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Targu Frumos is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.68 RON 50.5

94.48%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$42.45 RON 201

99.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.21 RON 34.12

70.87%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.42 RON 11.46

132.64%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.08 RON 9.86

78.85%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.87 RON 8.87

33.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.05 RON 9.68

292.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.18 RON 15.06

183.33%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.17 RON 5.56

-4.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.70 RON 3.32

435.71%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.79 RON 8.48

82.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.41 RON 16.11

22.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.51 RON 35.53

71.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.94 RON 28.09

138.38%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$8.59 RON 40.65

88.82%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.28 RON 6.07

238.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 RON 7.52

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.50 RON 7.11

200.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.76 RON 8.35

146.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.95 RON 4.49

171.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.00 RON 4.75

135.00%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.80 RON 3.78

122.50%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.73 RON 3.47

204.11%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$5.60 RON 26.49

76.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.29 RON 25.05

185.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.00 RON 4.73

192.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.19 RON 5.61

190.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.77 RON 3.67

93.51%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$21.57 RON 102

93.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.66 RON 3.10

313.64%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.64 RON 3.02

159.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$7.09 RON 33.52

397.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.81 RON 8.55

-47.51%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.6K RON 135.2K

26.12%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.6K RON 116.5K

9.93%

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

$229 $229

$146 RON 693

56.35%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$7.75 RON 36.67

666.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$7.69 RON 36.37

809.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.18 RON 181

49.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$20.15 RON 95.3

-18.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.23 RON 29.48

129.21%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$603 RON 2,852

149.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,996 RON 23.6K

329.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$95.3 RON 451

-44.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$32.26 RON 153

35.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$61.0 RON 289

38.92%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$84.3 RON 399

22.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$379 RON 1,795

402.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$283 RON 1,337

350.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$602 RON 2,848

508.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$438 RON 2,073

479.24%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,837 RON 8,691

314.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,368 RON 6,472

130.81%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.2

-5.69%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Targu Frumos: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Targu Frumos

$283 28.3% 77.8% $991

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Targu Frumos

$183 18.4% 54.7% $221

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Targu Frumos

$162 16.2% 54.8% $196

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Targu Frumos

$169 16.9% 52.4% $185

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Targu Frumos

$123 12.3% 4.1% $5.2

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Targu Frumos

$51 5.1% 41% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Targu Frumos

$29 2.9% 51.4% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $379 in Targu Frumos. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $42.00 in Targu Frumos for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $183 per month, with Targu Frumos cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇴 Targu Frumos

🕒 Local time

04:14 4:14 AM

12:14 12:14 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,875

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Romanian Leu RON lei

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

RON to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Targu Frumos 9,780 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Targu Frumos

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 Targu Frumos: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Targu Frumos wins on cost – living expenses run 167% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Targu Frumos the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,497 in Targu Frumos 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $379 in Targu Frumos. 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 $998 in Targu Frumos – a 167% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Targu Frumos runs roughly 93% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $998 in Targu Frumos versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Targu Frumos but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos 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 Targu Frumos gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.