Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kota Bharu and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kota Bharu: $692 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

34

Cost of Living Index in Kota Bharu
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Kota Bharu Living Index
130

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

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Kota Bharu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$692

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $692 in Kota Bharu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Kota Bharu $692
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,072 in Kota Bharu versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kota Bharu $1,072
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,452 in Kota Bharu versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Kota Bharu $1,452
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Kota Bharu costs roughly 74% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kota Bharu is 49% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.18 MYR 8.90

$20.77 $20.77

-89.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.41 MYR 79.2

$84.6 $84.6

-77.05%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.58 MYR 18.70

$12.32 $12.32

-62.82%

Cappuccino

$2.18 MYR 8.89

$5.63 $5.63

-61.28%

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

$0.48 MYR 1.94

$3.72 $3.72

-87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.26 MYR 1.05

$2.50 $2.50

-89.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.24 MYR 17.29

$8.05 $8.05

-47.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.49 MYR 18.33

$9.01 $9.01

-50.17%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$1.12 $1.12

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$0.92 MYR 3.74

$3.75 $3.75

-75.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.83 MYR 3.39

$3.26 $3.26

-74.54%

Eggs

$1.61 MYR 6.58

$4.17 $4.17

-61.39%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.74 MYR 56.1

$12.90 $12.90

6.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.94 MYR 12.00

$14.16 $14.16

-79.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$6.65 MYR 27.13

$16.22 $16.22

-59.00%

Apples (1kg)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$4.33 $4.33

-32.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.12

$1.46 $1.46

2.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.73 MYR 11.15

$4.51 $4.51

-39.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.13 MYR 4.60

$4.34 $4.34

-73.96%

Potato (1kg)

$0.97 MYR 3.94

$2.58 $2.58

-62.40%

Onion (1kg)

$1.12 MYR 4.59

$2.35 $2.35

-52.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.14 MYR 4.64

$1.78 $1.78

-35.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.45 MYR 1.84

$2.22 $2.22

-79.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.34 MYR 13.61

$9.88 $9.88

-66.19%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.00 MYR 77.5

$15.08 $15.08

25.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 MYR 11.88

$2.92 $2.92

-0.34%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.32 MYR 21.71

$3.46 $3.46

53.76%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.77 MYR 3.12

$1.49 $1.49

-48.32%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.33 MYR 50.3

$41.72 $41.72

-70.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.73 MYR 7.05

$2.73 $2.73

-36.63%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.37 MYR 1.53

$1.66 $1.66

-77.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$3.69 MYR 15.04

$35.30 $35.30

-89.55%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.14

$0.95 $0.95

-45.26%

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

$31.5K MYR 128.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-12.65%

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

$29.0K MYR 118.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

7.00%

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

$37.43 MYR 153

$229 $229

-83.65%

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

$8.65 MYR 35.27

$59.4 $59.4

-85.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.39 MYR 104

$69.9 $69.9

-63.68%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.63 MYR 202

$57.2 $57.2

-13.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$4.48 MYR 18.26

$14.28 $14.28

-68.63%

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

$125 MYR 508

$1,506 $1,506

-91.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.8K MYR 44.2K

$21.5K $21.5K

-49.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.5 MYR 222

$52.8 $52.8

3.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$19.29 MYR 78.7

$43.82 $43.82

-55.98%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$79.0 MYR 322

$84.8 $84.8

-6.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$69.6 MYR 284

$103 $103

-32.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$248 MYR 1,010

$1,907 $1,907

-87.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$122 MYR 499

$1,274 $1,274

-90.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$673 MYR 2,745

$3,664 $3,664

-81.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$224 MYR 913

$2,538 $2,538

-91.18%

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)

$299 MYR 1,221

$5,121 $5,121

-94.16%

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 Kota Bharu: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Kota Bharu

$230 33.2%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 76.3% $175

Accommodation & Living

Kota Bharu

$122 17.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 941% $1.2K

Clothing & Footwear

Kota Bharu

$100 14.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 27.9% $28

Eating Out

Kota Bharu

$90 13.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 291% $263

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kota Bharu

$71 10.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 401% $287

Sport & Entertainment

Kota Bharu

$59 8.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 46.4% $27

Getting Around

Kota Bharu

$19 2.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 209% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $248 in Kota Bharu and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1611% 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: $19.00 in Kota Bharu vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $230 vs $405 per month, with Kota Bharu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kota Bharu

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:23 7:23 AM

18:23 6:23 PM

13 h behind Kota Bharu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

568,900

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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Kota Bharu Austin, TX 15,440 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Kota Bharu
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

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

Kota Bharu wins on cost – living expenses run 285% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kota Bharu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1611% 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: $248 in Kota Bharu 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 $692 per month in Kota Bharu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 285% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kota Bharu runs roughly 238% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $692 in Kota Bharu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Kota Bharu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kota Bharu 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, Kota Bharu 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 Kota Bharu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 285% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.