Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kuala Terengganu and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kuala Terengganu: $924 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kuala Terengganu
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Kuala Terengganu Living Index
130

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

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Kuala Terengganu

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$924

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Kuala Terengganu $924
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,372 in Kuala Terengganu versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Kuala Terengganu $1,372
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,821 in Kuala Terengganu versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Kuala Terengganu $1,821
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Kuala Terengganu 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: Kuala Terengganu is 32% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.49 MYR 10.15

$20.77 $20.77

-88.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$23.06 MYR 94.1

$84.6 $84.6

-72.74%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.72 MYR 19.25

$12.32 $12.32

-61.69%

Cappuccino

$2.72 MYR 11.08

$5.63 $5.63

-51.69%

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

$0.47 MYR 1.90

$3.72 $3.72

-87.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.28 MYR 1.14

$2.50 $2.50

-88.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.56 MYR 14.52

$8.05 $8.05

-55.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.18 MYR 17.05

$9.01 $9.01

-53.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.70 MYR 6.94

$1.12 $1.12

51.79%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 MYR 4.15

$3.75 $3.75

-72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.28 MYR 5.22

$3.26 $3.26

-60.74%

Eggs

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$4.17 $4.17

-48.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.66 MYR 63.9

$12.90 $12.90

21.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.35 MYR 17.73

$14.16 $14.16

-69.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$8.41 MYR 34.29

$16.22 $16.22

-48.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.36 MYR 13.73

$4.33 $4.33

-22.40%

Banana (1kg)

$1.61 MYR 6.59

$1.46 $1.46

10.27%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.10 MYR 8.59

$4.51 $4.51

-53.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.50 MYR 6.13

$4.34 $4.34

-65.44%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 6.01

$2.58 $2.58

-43.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.09 MYR 4.45

$2.35 $2.35

-53.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$1.78 $1.78

-43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.17

$2.22 $2.22

-76.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.46 MYR 18.18

$9.88 $9.88

-54.86%

Wine (Bottle)

$17.84 MYR 72.8

$15.08 $15.08

18.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 MYR 11.91

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.82 MYR 19.66

$3.46 $3.46

39.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.67 MYR 2.75

$1.49 $1.49

-55.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$10.62 MYR 43.31

$41.72 $41.72

-74.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.27 MYR 5.20

$2.73 $2.73

-53.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.46 MYR 1.89

$1.66 $1.66

-72.29%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.55 MYR 26.73

$35.30 $35.30

-81.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 MYR 3.65

$0.95 $0.95

-5.26%

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

$43.8K MYR 178.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

21.59%

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

$32.1K MYR 131.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

18.60%

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

$45.25 MYR 185

$229 $229

-80.24%

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

$8.79 MYR 35.87

$59.4 $59.4

-85.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.10 MYR 102

$69.9 $69.9

-64.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.04 MYR 180

$57.2 $57.2

-23.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.97 MYR 32.49

$16.33 $16.33

-51.19%

Cinema Ticket

$4.81 MYR 19.61

$14.28 $14.28

-66.32%

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

$172 MYR 701

$1,506 $1,506

-88.58%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,936 MYR 28.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-67.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.5 MYR 235

$52.8 $52.8

8.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$36.37 MYR 148

$43.82 $43.82

-17.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.5 MYR 353

$84.8 $84.8

1.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$68.0 MYR 278

$103 $103

-33.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$361 MYR 1,472

$1,907 $1,907

-81.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$312 MYR 1,275

$1,274 $1,274

-75.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$722 MYR 2,946

$3,664 $3,664

-80.30%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$471 MYR 1,923

$2,538 $2,538

-81.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,073 MYR 8,456

$7,614 $7,614

-72.78%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,145 MYR 4,669

$3,157 $3,157

-63.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.79

-40.21%

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

Last update for Kuala Terengganu: 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

Kuala Terengganu

$312 33.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 308% $962

Groceries & Markets

Kuala Terengganu

$254 27.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 59.2% $150

Clothing & Footwear

Kuala Terengganu

$112 12.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 14.5% $16

Eating Out

Kuala Terengganu

$96 10.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 269% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kuala Terengganu

$79 8.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 353% $279

Sport & Entertainment

Kuala Terengganu

$54 5.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 59.9% $32

Getting Around

Kuala Terengganu

$17 1.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 247% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $361 in Kuala Terengganu and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $23.00 in Kuala Terengganu vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $254 vs $405 per month, with Kuala Terengganu cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kuala Terengganu

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:24 9:24 AM

20:24 8:24 PM

13 h behind Kuala Terengganu

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

375,424

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 19, 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Kuala Terengganu Austin, TX 15,470 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Kuala Terengganu
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

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

Kuala Terengganu wins on cost – living expenses run 188% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kuala Terengganu the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $1,386 in Kuala Terengganu 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: $361 in Kuala Terengganu 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 $924 per month in Kuala Terengganu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 188% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kuala Terengganu runs roughly 293% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $924 in Kuala Terengganu versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kuala Terengganu but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kuala Terengganu 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, Kuala Terengganu 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 Kuala Terengganu gentler on the wallet – expenses run 188% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.