Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cricova and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cricova: $1,022 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

50

Cost of Living Index in Cricova
Learn more

Cricova Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Cricova

🇲🇩 Moldova

$1,022

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,022 in Cricova versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cricova $1,022
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,858 in Cricova versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cricova $1,858
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,693 in Cricova versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cricova $2,693
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cricova costs roughly 62% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Cricova is 24% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.25 MDL 146

$20.77 $20.77

-60.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$27.53 MDL 489

$84.6 $84.6

-67.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 MDL 183

$12.32 $12.32

-16.40%

Cappuccino

$1.08 MDL 19.20

$5.63 $5.63

-80.82%

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

$1.05 MDL 18.59

$3.72 $3.72

-71.77%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.68 MDL 12.14

$2.50 $2.50

-72.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.00 MDL 35.55

$8.05 $8.05

-75.16%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 MDL 39.25

$9.01 $9.01

-75.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.39 MDL 42.52

$1.12 $1.12

113.39%

White Bread (500g)

$0.46 MDL 8.18

$3.75 $3.75

-87.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.38

$3.26 $3.26

-66.56%

Eggs

$1.25 MDL 22.22

$4.17 $4.17

-70.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.90 MDL 123

$12.90 $12.90

-46.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 MDL 81.5

$14.16 $14.16

-67.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$12.35 MDL 219

$16.22 $16.22

-23.86%

Apples (1kg)

$1.08 MDL 19.14

$4.33 $4.33

-75.06%

Banana (1kg)

$0.86 MDL 15.21

$1.46 $1.46

-41.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.03 MDL 18.33

$4.51 $4.51

-77.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.29

$4.34 $4.34

-74.88%

Potato (1kg)

$0.76 MDL 13.44

$2.58 $2.58

-70.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MDL 19.36

$2.35 $2.35

-53.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MDL 19.24

$1.78 $1.78

-39.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 MDL 19.37

$2.22 $2.22

-50.90%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.31 MDL 58.8

$9.88 $9.88

-66.50%

Wine (Bottle)

$4.45 MDL 79.1

$15.08 $15.08

-70.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.58 MDL 45.88

$2.92 $2.92

-11.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.28 MDL 75.9

$3.46 $3.46

23.70%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.53 MDL 9.48

$1.49 $1.49

-64.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$22.39 MDL 398

$41.72 $41.72

-46.33%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.10 MDL 19.57

$2.73 $2.73

-59.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.26 MDL 4.63

$1.66 $1.66

-84.34%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.53 MDL 116

$35.30 $35.30

-81.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 MDL 23.12

$0.95 $0.95

36.84%

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

$29.2K MDL 517.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-19.10%

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

$23.8K MDL 422.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-12.14%

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

$235 MDL 4,176

$229 $229

2.68%

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

$7.70 MDL 137

$59.4 $59.4

-87.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$11.02 MDL 196

$69.9 $69.9

-84.24%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.5 MDL 1,003

$57.2 $57.2

-1.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.20 MDL 199

$16.33 $16.33

-31.41%

Cinema Ticket

$7.42 MDL 132

$14.28 $14.28

-48.04%

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

$111 MDL 1,972

$1,506 $1,506

-92.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$5,220 MDL 92.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-75.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.2 MDL 998

$52.8 $52.8

6.38%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.60 MDL 490

$43.82 $43.82

-37.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.5 MDL 1,464

$84.8 $84.8

-2.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 MDL 2,021

$103 $103

10.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$884 MDL 15.7K

$1,907 $1,907

-53.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$222 MDL 3,943

$1,274 $1,274

-82.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,373 MDL 24.4K

$3,664 $3,664

-62.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,108 MDL 19.7K

$2,538 $2,538

-56.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,775 MDL 49.3K

$7,614 $7,614

-63.55%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,943 MDL 34.5K

$3,157 $3,157

-38.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$562 MDL 9,989

$5,121 $5,121

-89.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.09%

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

Last update for Cricova: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cricova

$254 24.8%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 41.2% $104

Accommodation & Living

Cricova

$222 21.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 474% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Cricova

$191 18.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 112% $214

Eating Out

Cricova

$131 12.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 170% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Cricova

$126 12.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 1.6% $2

Sport & Entertainment

Cricova

$71 7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 20.2% $14

Getting Around

Cricova

$27 2.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 118% $32

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $884 in Cricova and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 810% 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: $28.00 in Cricova vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $191 vs $405 per month, with Cricova cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇩 Cricova

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:07 8:07 AM

00:07 12:07 AM

8 h behind Cricova

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

10,642

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

Cricova Austin, TX 9,890 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Cricova
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

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

Cricova wins on cost – living expenses run 161% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cricova the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 810% 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: $884 in Cricova 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 $1,022 per month in Cricova versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 161% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cricova runs roughly 86% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,022 in Cricova versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Cricova but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cricova 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 Cricova gentler on the wallet – expenses run 161% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.