Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Carei and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Carei: $982 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

48

Cost of Living Index in Carei
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Carei Living Index
130

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

Jump to prices

Carei

🇷🇴 Romania

$982

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $982 in Carei versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Carei $982
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,492 in Carei versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Carei $1,492
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,001 in Carei versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Carei $2,001
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Carei costs roughly 63% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Carei is 27% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 RON 42.71

$20.77 $20.77

-56.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$39.88 RON 189

$84.6 $84.6

-52.85%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.16 RON 33.87

$12.32 $12.32

-41.88%

Cappuccino

$2.31 RON 10.91

$5.63 $5.63

-58.97%

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

$1.93 RON 9.11

$3.72 $3.72

-48.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.52 RON 7.18

$2.50 $2.50

-39.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.07 RON 9.77

$8.05 $8.05

-74.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.54 RON 12.02

$9.01 $9.01

-71.81%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.37 RON 6.49

$1.12 $1.12

22.32%

White Bread (500g)

$1.15 RON 5.43

$3.75 $3.75

-69.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.41 RON 6.65

$3.26 $3.26

-56.75%

Eggs

$2.92 RON 13.83

$4.17 $4.17

-29.98%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.68 RON 36.34

$12.90 $12.90

-40.47%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.16 RON 29.17

$14.16 $14.16

-56.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.69 RON 45.84

$16.22 $16.22

-40.26%

Apples (1kg)

$1.10 RON 5.21

$4.33 $4.33

-74.60%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.87

$1.46 $1.46

-0.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.75

$4.51 $4.51

-68.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 RON 9.63

$4.34 $4.34

-53.00%

Potato (1kg)

$0.80 RON 3.77

$2.58 $2.58

-68.99%

Onion (1kg)

$0.79 RON 3.74

$2.35 $2.35

-66.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.87 RON 4.10

$1.78 $1.78

-51.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.81 RON 3.84

$2.22 $2.22

-63.51%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$5.78 RON 27.37

$9.88 $9.88

-41.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.38 RON 30.17

$15.08 $15.08

-57.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 RON 5.04

$2.92 $2.92

-63.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.59 RON 7.53

$3.46 $3.46

-54.05%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 RON 3.56

$1.49 $1.49

-49.66%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$21.70 RON 103

$41.72 $41.72

-47.99%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.71 RON 3.34

$2.73 $2.73

-73.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 RON 3.33

$1.66 $1.66

-57.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.98 RON 33.00

$35.30 $35.30

-80.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.81 RON 8.59

$0.95 $0.95

90.53%

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

$28.5K RON 134.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.01%

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

$25.5K RON 120.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-5.81%

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

$138 RON 653

$229 $229

-39.74%

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

$7.84 RON 37.11

$59.4 $59.4

-86.80%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.05 RON 38.09

$69.9 $69.9

-88.49%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.36 RON 177

$57.2 $57.2

-34.73%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$20.18 RON 95.5

$16.33 $16.33

23.58%

Cinema Ticket

$6.98 RON 33.04

$14.28 $14.28

-51.12%

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

$417 RON 1,971

$1,506 $1,506

-72.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,823 RON 32.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-68.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$60.4 RON 286

$52.8 $52.8

14.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$35.63 RON 169

$43.82 $43.82

-18.69%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$76.1 RON 360

$84.8 $84.8

-10.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$83.2 RON 394

$103 $103

-19.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$384 RON 1,815

$1,907 $1,907

-79.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$289 RON 1,367

$1,274 $1,274

-77.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$600 RON 2,839

$3,664 $3,664

-83.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$448 RON 2,121

$2,538 $2,538

-82.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,878 RON 8,885

$7,614 $7,614

-75.34%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,331 RON 6,297

$3,157 $3,157

-57.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 Carei: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Carei

$289 29.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 341% $985

Groceries & Markets

Carei

$194 19.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 109% $211

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Carei

$154 15.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 133% $204

Eating Out

Carei

$151 15.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 135% $203

Clothing & Footwear

Carei

$115 11.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 11.4% $13

Sport & Entertainment

Carei

$51 5.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 67.2% $34

Getting Around

Carei

$29 3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 103% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $384 in Carei and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $40.00 in Carei vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $194 vs $405 per month, with Carei cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Carei

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:39 12:39 AM

16:39 4:39 PM

8 h behind Carei

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

25,911

974,447

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Carei Austin, TX 9,500 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Carei
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

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

Carei wins on cost – living expenses run 171% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Carei the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,474 in Carei 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: $384 in Carei 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 $982 per month in Carei versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 171% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Carei runs roughly 92% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $982 in Carei versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Carei but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Carei 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, Carei 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 Carei gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.