Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Kulim and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Kulim: $891 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

45

Cost of Living Index in Kulim
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Kulim Living Index
125

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

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Kulim

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$891

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $891 in Kulim versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Kulim $891
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,374 in Kulim versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Kulim $1,374
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,857 in Kulim versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Kulim $1,857
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Kulim costs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Kulim is 35% below, Austin, TX is 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.72 MYR 15.21

$20.35 $20.35

-81.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$19.45 MYR 79.5

$84.7 $84.7

-77.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.53 MYR 18.50

$12.12 $12.12

-62.62%

Cappuccino

$2.89 MYR 11.80

$5.65 $5.65

-48.85%

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

$0.78 MYR 3.20

$3.68 $3.68

-78.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.42 MYR 1.71

$2.36 $2.36

-82.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$7.87 $7.87

-50.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.61 MYR 18.82

$8.82 $8.82

-47.73%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.96 MYR 7.99

$1.14 $1.14

71.93%

White Bread (500g)

$1.23 MYR 5.02

$3.69 $3.69

-66.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.30 MYR 5.31

$3.31 $3.31

-60.73%

Eggs

$2.23 MYR 9.10

$4.15 $4.15

-46.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.68 MYR 51.8

$12.98 $12.98

-2.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$3.85 MYR 15.75

$13.86 $13.86

-72.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.72 MYR 43.82

$16.34 $16.34

-34.39%

Apples (1kg)

$3.05 MYR 12.46

$4.69 $4.69

-34.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.89 MYR 7.71

$1.45 $1.45

30.34%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.55 MYR 10.40

$5.11 $5.11

-50.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.44 MYR 5.90

$4.52 $4.52

-68.14%

Potato (1kg)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$3.08 $3.08

-61.36%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 MYR 5.55

$2.38 $2.38

-42.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.08 MYR 4.42

$1.80 $1.80

-40.00%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.53 MYR 2.16

$2.22 $2.22

-76.13%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.47 MYR 18.28

$9.97 $9.97

-55.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$21.05 MYR 86.1

$15.05 $15.05

39.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 MYR 12.53

$2.91 $2.91

5.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.90 MYR 15.95

$3.33 $3.33

17.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.06

$1.22 $1.22

-38.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.64 MYR 51.7

$40.53 $40.53

-68.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.04 MYR 4.24

$2.78 $2.78

-62.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.56 MYR 2.29

$1.65 $1.65

-66.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$8.26 MYR 33.75

$35.39 $35.39

-76.66%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.74 MYR 3.01

$0.95 $0.95

-22.11%

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

$48.9K MYR 199.7K

$34.2K $34.2K

42.91%

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

$30.9K MYR 126.3K

$26.8K $26.8K

15.49%

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

$45.19 MYR 185

$223 $223

-79.74%

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

$8.70 MYR 35.55

$58.5 $58.5

-85.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$25.83 MYR 106

$71.2 $71.2

-63.71%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$36.10 MYR 148

$53.0 $53.0

-31.94%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.37 MYR 30.13

$16.75 $16.75

-56.00%

Cinema Ticket

$4.46 MYR 18.22

$14.06 $14.06

-68.28%

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

$268 MYR 1,094

$1,459 $1,459

-81.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$7,096 MYR 29.0K

$21.3K $21.3K

-66.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$62.2 MYR 254

$52.5 $52.5

18.42%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$30.78 MYR 126

$42.75 $42.75

-28.00%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$77.2 MYR 315

$86.4 $86.4

-10.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$70.8 MYR 290

$104 $104

-31.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$419 MYR 1,713

$2,112 $2,112

-80.16%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$265 MYR 1,082

$1,230 $1,230

-78.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$763 MYR 3,119

$3,863 $3,863

-80.24%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$497 MYR 2,032

$2,407 $2,407

-79.34%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,141 MYR 8,749

$7,426 $7,426

-71.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,272 MYR 5,200

$3,060 $3,060

-58.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.06

6.82

-40.47%

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

Last update for Kulim: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Kulim

$265 29.7%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 365% $966

Groceries & Markets

Kulim

$262 29.4%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 56.7% $148

Eating Out

Kulim

$112 12.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 212% $237

Clothing & Footwear

Kulim

$108 12.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 18.5% $20

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Kulim

$80 9%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 342% $273

Sport & Entertainment

Kulim

$45 5.1%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 80.3% $36

Getting Around

Kulim

$19 2.2%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 190% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $419 in Kulim and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $19 in Kulim vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $262 vs $410 per month, with Kulim cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Kulim

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:08 8:08 PM

07:08 7:08 AM

13 h behind Kulim

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

319,056

974,447

💱 Currency

Malaysian Ringgit MYR RM

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 MYR = 0.245 USD

1 MYR = 0.22 EUR

1 USD = 0.899 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.55 MYR (1 MYR = 0.22 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

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Kulim Austin, TX 15,600 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Kulim
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

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

Kulim wins on cost – living expenses run 66% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Kulim the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $1,336 in Kulim and $3,911 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: $419 in Kulim versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $891 per month in Kulim versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 193% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Kulim runs roughly 69% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $800. Kulim is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Kulim gentler on the wallet – expenses run 66% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.