Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Turda

For one person, living is cheaper in Turda: $1,079 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Turda
🇷🇴 Romania
$1,079
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,079 in Turda.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Turda $1,079

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,617 in Turda.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Turda $1,617

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,155 in Turda.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Turda $2,155

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 147% more expensive than in Turda, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Turda is 20% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$12.82 RON 60.7
62.01%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$32.32 RON 153
161.73%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.62 RON 40.80
42.92%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.74 RON 12.98
105.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$1.81 RON 8.57
105.52%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.34 RON 6.35
86.57%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$2.12 RON 10.05
279.72%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$2.07 RON 9.78
335.27%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.53 RON 7.23
-26.80%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.46 RON 6.89
156.85%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.54 RON 7.28
111.69%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.80 RON 13.23
48.93%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$6.26 RON 29.60
106.07%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$6.48 RON 30.64
118.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$11.48 RON 54.3
41.29%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.11 RON 5.24
290.09%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.49 RON 7.03
-2.01%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.32 RON 6.23
241.67%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.44 RON 11.56
77.87%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.99 RON 4.69
160.61%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.98 RON 4.63
139.80%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.97 RON 4.60
83.51%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.01 RON 4.76
119.80%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$5.14 RON 24.32
92.22%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$7.54 RON 35.66
100.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.22 RON 5.79
139.34%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.69 RON 7.98
104.73%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.24 RON 5.85
20.16%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$21.12 RON 99.9
97.54%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.81 RON 3.83
237.04%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.81 RON 3.81
104.94%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$5.82 RON 27.52
506.53%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.74 RON 8.25
-45.40%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$28.8K RON 136.4K
25.07%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$25.5K RON 120.5K
6.26%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$158 RON 746
45.21%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$9.04 RON 42.78
556.97%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$9.91 RON 46.91
605.45%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$37.90 RON 179
51.03%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$18.85 RON 89.2
-13.37%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$9.42 RON 44.56
51.59%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$587 RON 2,778
156.51%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,227 RON 29.5K
244.57%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$42.24 RON 200
25.02%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$42.48 RON 201
3.15%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$98.0 RON 464
-13.47%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$107 RON 508
-4.11%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$382 RON 1,807
399.31%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$285 RON 1,349
346.73%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$604 RON 2,858
506.56%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$449 RON 2,122
465.85%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,822 RON 8,619
317.92%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$1,269 RON 6,003
148.85%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Turda
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$748 RON 3,539
584.64%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
6.8
-0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Turda: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Turda
$285 77.6% $989
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Turda
$210 48.1% $194
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Turda
$177 50.7% $182
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Turda
$189 46.7% $165
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Turda
$131 2% $2.6
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Turda
$57 33.9% $29
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Turda
$31 47.4% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $382 in Turda. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 585% 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 $32.00 in Turda for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $210 per month, with Turda cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇷🇴 Turda
🕒 Local time
15:10 3:10 PM
23:10 11:10 PM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
47,744
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

RON, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Turda 9,650 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Turda

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 Turda: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Turda?
Turda wins on cost – living expenses run 147% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Turda the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Turda?
Average pay runs 585% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Turda?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $382 in Turda. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Turda?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,079 in Turda – a 147% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Turda?
A monthly transit pass in Turda runs roughly 98% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Turda?
At $1,079 in Turda versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Turda but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Turda the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Turda?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Turda?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Turda are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Turda gentler on the wallet – expenses run 147% 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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