Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Batam and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Batam: $596 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Batam
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Batam Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index

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Batam

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$596

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Batam 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 Batam and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $596 in Batam versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Batam $596
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,010 in Batam versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Batam $1,010
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,424 in Batam versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Batam $1,424
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Batam costs roughly 78% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Batam is 56% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$20.22 $20.22

-90.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$8.33 Rp 149.0K

$85.0 $85.0

-90.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.01 Rp 71.7K

$12.35 $12.35

-67.53%

Cappuccino

$2.12 Rp 37.9K

$5.47 $5.47

-61.24%

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

$0.65 Rp 11.6K

$3.82 $3.82

-82.98%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.31 Rp 5,617

$2.50 $2.50

-87.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.53 Rp 45.3K

$8.06 $8.06

-68.61%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.66 Rp 65.5K

$8.99 $8.99

-59.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.15 Rp 20.6K

$1.13 $1.13

1.77%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 Rp 19.8K

$3.78 $3.78

-70.63%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.81 Rp 14.5K

$3.25 $3.25

-75.08%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.1K

$4.14 $4.14

-70.05%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.40 Rp 132.4K

$13.08 $13.08

-43.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.40 Rp 43.0K

$14.31 $14.31

-83.23%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$4.35 Rp 77.7K

$15.96 $15.96

-72.74%

Apples (1kg)

$2.25 Rp 40.3K

$4.38 $4.38

-48.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.97 Rp 35.3K

$1.45 $1.45

35.86%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.02 Rp 36.2K

$4.54 $4.54

-55.51%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.00 Rp 18.0K

$4.19 $4.19

-76.13%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 Rp 17.4K

$2.63 $2.63

-63.12%

Onion (1kg)

$1.93 Rp 34.5K

$2.36 $2.36

-18.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.32 Rp 23.6K

$1.76 $1.76

-25.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.44 Rp 7,951

$2.16 $2.16

-79.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.74 Rp 49.0K

$9.81 $9.81

-72.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.91 Rp 248.9K

$14.72 $14.72

-5.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 Rp 30.4K

$2.78 $2.78

-38.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.44 Rp 43.7K

$3.48 $3.48

-29.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.37 Rp 6,667

$1.49 $1.49

-75.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.15 Rp 20.5K

$2.67 $2.67

-56.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.63 Rp 11.3K

$1.58 $1.58

-60.13%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.55 Rp 63.4K

$35.29 $35.29

-89.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.7K

$0.99 $0.99

-17.17%

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

$28.3K Rp 506.8M

$35.8K $35.8K

-20.87%

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

$24.4K Rp 436.2M

$27.2K $27.2K

-10.29%

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

$68.6 Rp 1.2M

$219 $219

-68.71%

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

$4.08 Rp 72.9K

$58.0 $58.0

-92.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$23.00 Rp 411.5K

$68.4 $68.4

-66.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$26.70 Rp 477.7K

$57.9 $57.9

-53.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$5.69 Rp 101.8K

$14.82 $14.82

-61.61%

Cinema Ticket

$2.62 Rp 46.9K

$14.13 $14.13

-81.46%

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

$82.4 Rp 1.5M

$1,509 $1,509

-94.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,273 Rp 58.6M

$21.5K $21.5K

-84.75%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.39 Rp 561.6K

$51.7 $51.7

-39.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$18.43 Rp 329.8K

$44.05 $44.05

-58.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$65.2 Rp 1.2M

$85.1 $85.1

-23.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$24.41 Rp 436.7K

$105 $105

-76.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$270 Rp 4.8M

$1,932 $1,932

-86.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$148 Rp 2.7M

$1,272 $1,272

-88.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$818 Rp 14.6M

$3,670 $3,670

-77.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$496 Rp 8.9M

$2,525 $2,525

-80.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$559 Rp 10.0M

$7,617 $7,617

-92.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$343 Rp 6.1M

$5,105 $5,105

-93.28%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

13.17

6.79

93.96%

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

Last update for Batam: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Batam

$173 29.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 133% $230

Accommodation & Living

Batam

$148 25%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 758% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Batam

$96 16.1%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 261% $250

Eating Out

Batam

$77 13%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 351% $271

Clothing & Footwear

Batam

$63 10.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 105% $66

Sport & Entertainment

Batam

$32 5.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 170% $54

Getting Around

Batam

$5.8 * 1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 885% $51

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 $270 in Batam and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1388% 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: $8.00 in Batam vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $173 vs $403 per month, with Batam cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Batam

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

14:06 2:06 PM

02:06 2:06 AM

12 h behind Batam

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,196,396

974,447

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 17,890 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.59 USD). 1 EUR = 20,065 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.98 EUR).

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

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Batam Austin, TX 15,830 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Batam
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

Batam vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Batam wins on cost – living expenses run 353% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Batam the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1388% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $270 in Batam versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $82.4 in Batam versus $1,509 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Batam – a meal for two runs $8.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $596 in Batam versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Batam but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Batam 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.

Expats usually find Batam gentler on the wallet – expenses run 353% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.