Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

For one person, living is cheaper in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: $1,500 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $14,400 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
70

Cost of Living Index in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk
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Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,500

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Austin, TX $2,704
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $1,500

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,506 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Austin, TX $4,133
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $2,506

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,512 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk.

Austin, TX $5,562
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk $3,512

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 80% more expensive than in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 12% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.70 ₽1,506

14.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$81.0 ₽6,895

4.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.63 ₽904

16.18%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.47 ₽295

57.64%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$1.81 ₽154

111.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.90 ₽76.5

177.78%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.20 ₽442

55.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.72 ₽487

57.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.81 ₽154

-37.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.34 ₽199

61.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.58 ₽304

15.64%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$18.63 ₽1,585

-29.79%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.44 ₽719

69.55%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.29 ₽1,386

-2.03%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.76 ₽405

-7.98%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.14 ₽268

-53.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.37 ₽202

-8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.45 ₽293

-22.61%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.85 ₽72.2

16.47%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

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

$27.2K $27.2K

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

$219 $219

$115 ₽9,759

91.18%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$14.32 ₽1,218

304.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$9.63 ₽819

609.87%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$35.90 ₽3,054

-58.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.02 ₽597

101.28%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$179 ₽15.2K

-71.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$120 ₽10.2K

-28.88%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$818 ₽69.6K

136.17%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$638 ₽54.3K

99.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,774 ₽150.9K

106.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,392 ₽118.5K

81.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,413 ₽120.2K

261.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

24.33

-72.09%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$638 43.5% 49.9% $634

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$274 * 18.7% 32% $129

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$263 18% 24.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$139 9.5% 59.9% $207

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$134 * 9.2% 4.2% $5.4

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$14 * 1% 83.7% $72

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

$3.5 * 0.2% 93.9% $54

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 $1,932 in Austin, TX and $818 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 261% 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 $81.0 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $274 per month, with Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇷🇺 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

🕒 Local time

04:58 4:58 AM

20:58 8:58 PM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

180,467

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

RUB, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

RUB to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 9,510 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk

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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk wins on cost – living expenses run 80% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 261% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $818 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk – a 80% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 47% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $1,500 in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk 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 Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk gentler on the wallet – expenses run 80% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.