Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Barlad and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Barlad: $975 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Barlad
🇷🇴 Romania
$975
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,698
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Barlad and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $975 in Barlad versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

  • Barlad $975
  • Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,521 in Barlad versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

  • Barlad $1,521
  • Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,066 in Barlad versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

  • Barlad $2,066
  • Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Barlad costs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Barlad is 28% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$8.96 RON 42.41
$20.63 $20.63
-56.57%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$41.38 RON 196
$84.6 $84.6
-51.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$7.20 RON 34.06
$12.07 $12.07
-40.35%
Cappuccino
$2.41 RON 11.40
$5.48 $5.48
-56.02%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.85 RON 8.75
$3.80 $3.80
-51.32%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.54 RON 7.27
$2.47 $2.47
-37.65%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$2.17 RON 10.25
$8.05 $8.05
-73.04%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.69 RON 12.72
$8.88 $8.88
-69.71%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 RON 6.34
$1.11 $1.11
20.72%
White Bread (500g)
$1.12 RON 5.31
$3.72 $3.72
-69.89%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.40 RON 6.63
$3.37 $3.37
-58.46%
Eggs
$3.39 RON 16.02
$4.32 $4.32
-21.53%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$7.51 RON 35.53
$13.13 $13.13
-42.80%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$5.22 RON 24.69
$14.15 $14.15
-63.11%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$10.04 RON 47.49
$16.33 $16.33
-38.52%
Apples (1kg)
$1.04 RON 4.92
$4.55 $4.55
-77.14%
Banana (1kg)
$1.63 RON 7.73
$1.46 $1.46
11.64%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.38 RON 6.54
$4.71 $4.71
-70.70%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.76 RON 8.31
$4.15 $4.15
-57.59%
Potato (1kg)
$0.79 RON 3.75
$2.58 $2.58
-69.38%
Onion (1kg)
$0.77 RON 3.65
$2.35 $2.35
-67.23%
Lettuce (1 head)
$0.84 RON 3.99
$1.77 $1.77
-52.54%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.89 RON 4.20
$2.14 $2.14
-58.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$6.64 RON 31.41
$10.10 $10.10
-34.26%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.58 RON 26.38
$15.19 $15.19
-63.27%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.20 RON 5.68
$2.82 $2.82
-57.45%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.62 RON 7.67
$3.44 $3.44
-52.91%
🚌 Getting Around
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.51 RON 2.40
$1.54 $1.54
-66.88%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$19.88 RON 94.0
$40.99 $40.99
-51.50%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$0.72 RON 3.42
$2.80 $2.80
-74.29%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.73 RON 3.46
$1.60 $1.60
-54.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$6.99 RON 33.08
$34.34 $34.34
-79.64%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$1.75 RON 8.30
$0.94 $0.94
86.17%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$26.5K RON 125.3K
$34.0K $34.0K
-22.03%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$25.1K RON 118.7K
$26.8K $26.8K
-6.30%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$158 RON 748
$223 $223
-29.01%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.87 RON 41.95
$58.9 $58.9
-84.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$8.36 RON 39.58
$70.6 $70.6
-88.16%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$34.02 RON 161
$57.7 $57.7
-41.04%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$18.05 RON 85.4
$16.53 $16.53
9.20%
Cinema Ticket
$6.61 RON 31.28
$14.26 $14.26
-53.65%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$465 RON 2,202
$1,511 $1,511
-69.20%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$7,715 RON 36.5K
$20.9K $20.9K
-63.07%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$62.0 RON 293
$51.3 $51.3
20.83%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$34.81 RON 165
$44.17 $44.17
-21.19%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$72.7 RON 344
$87.0 $87.0
-16.39%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$86.2 RON 408
$104 $104
-17.43%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$407 RON 1,927
$1,940 $1,940
-79.01%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$269 RON 1,271
$1,316 $1,316
-79.59%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$651 RON 3,081
$3,664 $3,664
-82.23%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$505 RON 2,387
$2,565 $2,565
-80.33%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,755 RON 8,305
$7,354 $7,354
-76.13%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,263 RON 5,976
$3,129 $3,129
-59.63%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Barlad
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,286 $5,286
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.97
6.79
2.65%

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

Last update for Barlad: October 17, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Barlad
$269
Austin, TX
$1.3K 390% $1K
Groceries & Markets
Barlad
$190
Austin, TX
$406 114% $216
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Barlad
$175
Austin, TX
$352 101% $177
Eating Out
Barlad
$152
Austin, TX
$350 130% $198
Clothing & Footwear
Barlad
$115
Austin, TX
$129 12.2% $14
Sport & Entertainment
Barlad
$47
Austin, TX
$86 82.5% $39
Getting Around
Barlad
$26
Austin, TX
$58 120% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $407 in Barlad and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $41.00 in Barlad vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $190 vs $406 per month, with Barlad cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇷🇴 Barlad
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
00:08 12:08 AM
16:08 4:08 PM
8 h behind Barlad
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
77,518
974,447
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

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).

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Barlad Austin, TX 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Barlad
  • Austin, TX

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
Barlad vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Barlad or Austin, TX?
Barlad wins on cost – living expenses run 177% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Barlad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Barlad and in Austin, TX?
You'd need roughly $1,462 in Barlad and $4,046 in Austin, TX 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Barlad compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $407 in Barlad versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Barlad compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $975 per month in Barlad versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 177% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Barlad compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Barlad runs roughly 106% 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 $2,000/month in Barlad or in Austin, TX?
At $975 in Barlad versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Barlad but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Barlad the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Barlad or Austin, TX?
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 Barlad compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Barlad and Austin, TX 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 Barlad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 177% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Barlad vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?