Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Calarasi and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Calarasi: $358 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $27,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

35

Cost of Living Index in Calarasi
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Calarasi Living Index
130

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

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Calarasi

🇲🇩 Moldova

$358

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $358 in Calarasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Calarasi $358
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $585 in Calarasi versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Calarasi $585
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $811 in Calarasi versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Calarasi $811
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Calarasi costs roughly 87% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Calarasi is 74% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.15 MDL 198

$20.77 $20.77

-46.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$22.51 MDL 400

$84.6 $84.6

-73.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.93 MDL 123

$12.32 $12.32

-43.75%

Cappuccino

$1.42 MDL 25.19

$5.63 $5.63

-74.78%

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

$0.75 MDL 13.24

$3.72 $3.72

-79.84%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MDL 8.31

$2.50 $2.50

-81.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.09 MDL 19.42

$8.05 $8.05

-86.46%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.42 MDL 25.22

$9.01 $9.01

-84.24%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.99 MDL 17.59

$1.12 $1.12

-11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$0.36 MDL 6.31

$3.75 $3.75

-90.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

Eggs

$1.93 MDL 34.20

$4.17 $4.17

-53.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 MDL 34.42

$1.46 $1.46

32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

Potato (1kg)

$0.63 MDL 11.18

$2.58 $2.58

-75.58%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 MDL 9.20

$2.22 $2.22

-76.58%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.54

$2.73 $2.73

-59.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.68 MDL 29.75

$0.95 $0.95

76.84%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

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

$20.5K MDL 364.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

-24.12%

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

$58.4 MDL 1,038

$229 $229

-74.48%

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

$6.57 MDL 117

$59.4 $59.4

-88.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$10.12 MDL 180

$69.9 $69.9

-85.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$3.41 MDL 60.5

$14.28 $14.28

-76.12%

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

$1,506 $1,506

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$33.26 MDL 591

$52.8 $52.8

-37.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$32.87 MDL 584

$43.82 $43.82

-24.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$108 MDL 1,922

$84.8 $84.8

27.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$33.44 MDL 594

$103 $103

-67.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

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

Last update for Calarasi: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Eating Out

Calarasi

$140 39.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 153% $214

Clothing & Footwear

Calarasi

$94 26.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 36.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Calarasi

$75 21%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 377% $283

Groceries & Markets

Calarasi

$41 * 11.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 890% $364

Sport & Entertainment

Calarasi

$6.8 * 1.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 1160% $79

Getting Around

Calarasi

$1.1 * 0.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 5236% $58

Accommodation & Living

Calarasi

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $23.00 in Calarasi vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $41.00 vs $405 per month, with Calarasi cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Calarasi

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:40 5:40 AM

21:40 9:40 PM

8 h behind Calarasi

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

16,100

974,447

💱 Currency

Moldovan Leu MDL L

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 MDL = 5.63 USD

100 MDL = 5.01 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MDL – Moldovan Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇲🇩 Moldovan Leu (L)

Moldovan Leu exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 17.76 MDL (100 MDL = 5.63 USD). 1 EUR = 19.97 MDL (100 MDL = 5.01 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MDL in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Calarasi Austin, TX 9,850 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Calarasi
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

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

Calarasi wins on cost – living expenses run 645% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Calarasi the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $536 in Calarasi 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.

All in, you'll spend $358 per month in Calarasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 645% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

Supermarket bills run roughly 889% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $358 in Calarasi versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Calarasi but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Calarasi 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 Calarasi gentler on the wallet – expenses run 645% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.