Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Butterworth and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Butterworth: $932 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Butterworth
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Butterworth Living Index
130

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

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Butterworth

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$932

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $932 in Butterworth versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Butterworth $932
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,402 in Butterworth versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Butterworth $1,402
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,871 in Butterworth versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Butterworth $1,871
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Butterworth costs roughly 65% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Butterworth is 31% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.77 MYR 15.38

$20.77 $20.77

-81.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.66 MYR 80.2

$84.6 $84.6

-76.76%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.70 MYR 19.19

$12.32 $12.32

-61.85%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MYR 11.82

$5.63 $5.63

-48.49%

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

$0.76 MYR 3.11

$3.72 $3.72

-79.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.39 MYR 1.59

$2.50 $2.50

-84.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.19 MYR 17.09

$8.05 $8.05

-47.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.30 MYR 17.56

$9.01 $9.01

-52.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.08 MYR 8.48

$1.12 $1.12

85.71%

White Bread (500g)

$1.04 MYR 4.26

$3.75 $3.75

-72.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$3.26 $3.26

-47.85%

Eggs

$2.17 MYR 8.86

$4.17 $4.17

-47.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.81 MYR 56.4

$12.90 $12.90

7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.74

$14.16 $14.16

-69.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$16.22 $16.22

-45.81%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 MYR 11.84

$4.33 $4.33

-33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.46 $1.46

15.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.33 MYR 9.52

$4.51 $4.51

-48.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.41 MYR 5.75

$4.34 $4.34

-67.51%

Potato (1kg)

$1.05 MYR 4.29

$2.58 $2.58

-59.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.61

$2.35 $2.35

-51.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.78 $1.78

-39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.57 MYR 2.33

$2.22 $2.22

-74.32%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.20

$9.88 $9.88

-54.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.33 MYR 78.9

$15.08 $15.08

28.18%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.72

$2.92 $2.92

-1.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.90 MYR 19.97

$3.46 $3.46

41.62%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.70 MYR 2.86

$1.49 $1.49

-53.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$11.13 MYR 45.40

$41.72 $41.72

-73.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.20 MYR 4.89

$2.73 $2.73

-56.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.52

$1.66 $1.66

-77.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.87 MYR 19.88

$35.30 $35.30

-86.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.89 MYR 3.63

$0.95 $0.95

-6.32%

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

$42.2K MYR 172.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

17.14%

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

$34.2K MYR 139.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

26.32%

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

$37.79 MYR 154

$229 $229

-83.50%

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

$8.58 MYR 34.99

$59.4 $59.4

-85.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.51 MYR 108

$69.9 $69.9

-62.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.71 MYR 150

$57.2 $57.2

-35.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$6.90 MYR 28.15

$16.33 $16.33

-57.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.03 MYR 20.50

$14.28 $14.28

-64.78%

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

$297 MYR 1,211

$1,506 $1,506

-80.29%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.9K MYR 44.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-49.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$58.9 MYR 240

$52.8 $52.8

11.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.71 MYR 146

$43.82 $43.82

-18.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$81.9 MYR 334

$84.8 $84.8

-3.35%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.0 MYR 290

$103 $103

-31.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$410 MYR 1,672

$1,907 $1,907

-78.51%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$314 MYR 1,281

$1,274 $1,274

-75.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$772 MYR 3,149

$3,664 $3,664

-78.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$522 MYR 2,130

$2,538 $2,538

-79.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,053 MYR 8,376

$7,614 $7,614

-73.03%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,101 MYR 4,493

$3,157 $3,157

-65.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.04

6.79

-40.50%

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

Last update for Butterworth: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Butterworth

$314 33.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 306% $960

Groceries & Markets

Butterworth

$257 27.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 57.6% $148

Eating Out

Butterworth

$113 12.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 213% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Butterworth

$111 12%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 14.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Butterworth

$73 7.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 392% $285

Sport & Entertainment

Butterworth

$47 5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 83.4% $39

Getting Around

Butterworth

$17 1.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 245% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $410 in Butterworth and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $20.00 in Butterworth vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $257 vs $405 per month, with Butterworth cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Butterworth

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:42 7:42 AM

18:42 6:42 PM

13 h behind Butterworth

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

339,132

974,447

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.218 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇾 Malaysian Ringgit (RM)

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 4.08 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.59 MYR (1 MYR = 0.218 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

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Between locations

Butterworth Austin, TX 15,600 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Butterworth
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

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

Butterworth wins on cost – living expenses run 186% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Butterworth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,398 in Butterworth and $3,995 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $410 in Butterworth versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $932 per month in Butterworth versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 186% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Butterworth runs roughly 275% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $932 in Butterworth versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Butterworth but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Butterworth 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, Butterworth 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.

Expats usually find Butterworth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 186% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.