Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Zadar

For one person, living is cheaper in Zadar: $1,687 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Zadar
🇭🇷 Croatia
$1,687
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,687 in Zadar.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Zadar $1,687

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,572 in Zadar.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Zadar $2,572

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,457 in Zadar.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Zadar $3,457

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 58% more expensive than in Zadar, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Zadar 25% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$14.55 €12.95
42.75%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$78.3 €69.7
7.99%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$7.67 €6.83
60.63%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.40 €2.13
134.58%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.96 €2.63
25.68%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.19 €1.95
14.16%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$3.29 €2.92
144.68%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.54 €4.04
98.46%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.17 €1.04
-4.27%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.63 €1.45
130.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$3.14 €2.79
3.82%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.77 €3.35
10.61%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$10.80 €9.61
19.44%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$9.47 €8.43
49.52%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$12.03 €10.71
34.83%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$1.98 €1.76
118.69%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.52 €1.35
-3.95%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.16 €1.92
108.80%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.60 €2.31
66.92%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.21 €1.97
16.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.32 €1.18
78.03%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.32 €1.17
34.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.25 €1.12
77.60%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$5.59 €4.98
76.74%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$7.83 €6.97
92.59%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.35 €1.20
116.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$1.41 €1.25
145.39%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$1.75 €1.56
-14.86%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$43.69 €38.86
-4.51%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.42 €3.04
-20.18%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.22 €1.97
-25.23%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$22.05 €19.61
60.09%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.78 €1.59
-46.63%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$26.3K €23.4K
37.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$25.1K €22.3K
7.89%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$182 €162
25.65%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$22.01 €19.58
169.83%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$40.17 €35.73
74.04%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$56.1 €49.92
2.00%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$17.02 €15.14
-4.05%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.58 €9.41
34.97%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$240 €214
526.92%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$6,907 €6,144
210.63%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$88.4 €78.6
-40.25%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$35.68 €31.74
22.81%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$104 €92.7
-18.62%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$77.5 €69.0
32.90%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$904 €804
110.97%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$681 €606
86.96%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,460 €1,299
151.00%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,135 €1,009
123.69%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$4,481 €3,985
69.93%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$4,044 €3,597
-21.92%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Zadar
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$1,360 €1,210
276.51%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.54
91.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zadar: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Zadar
$681 46.5% $593
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Zadar
$267 34% $138
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Zadar
$244 31.8% $114
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Zadar
$214 39.4% $140
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Zadar
$138 7.5% $9.6
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Zadar
$77 9.9% $8.5
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Zadar
$65 11.1% $6.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $904 in Zadar. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 277% 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 $78.0 in Zadar for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $267 per month, with Zadar cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇭🇷 Zadar
🕒 Local time
11:36 11:36 AM
18:36 6:36 PM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
67,309
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

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).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Zadar 9,310 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Zadar

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 Zadar: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Zadar?
Zadar wins on cost – living expenses run 58% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zadar the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Zadar?
Average pay runs 277% 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 Zadar?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $904 in Zadar. 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 Zadar?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,687 in Zadar – a 58% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Zadar?
A monthly transit pass in Zadar runs roughly 5% 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 $3,000/month in Austin, TX or in Zadar?
At $1,687 in Zadar versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Zadar but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zadar the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Austin, TX or Zadar?
Both work as nomad bases, but Zadar delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,687 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Zadar hard to pass up.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Zadar?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Zadar 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 Zadar gentler on the wallet – expenses run 58% 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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