Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Lija and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Lija: $1,972 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

101

Cost of Living Index in Lija
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Lija Living Index
130

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

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Lija

🇲🇹 Malta

$1,972

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,972 in Lija versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Lija $1,972
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,209 in Lija versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Lija $3,209
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,446 in Lija versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Lija $4,446
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Lija costs roughly 26% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Lija 46% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$22.27 €19.81

$20.77 $20.77

7.22%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.0 €81.0

$84.6 $84.6

7.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.14 €11.69

$12.32 $12.32

6.66%

Cappuccino

$3.13 €2.79

$5.63 $5.63

-44.40%

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

$2.42 €2.15

$3.72 $3.72

-34.95%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 €1.75

$2.50 $2.50

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.45 €4.85

$8.05 $8.05

-32.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.71 €5.96

$9.01 $9.01

-25.53%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.18

$1.12 $1.12

18.75%

White Bread (500g)

$1.41 €1.25

$3.75 $3.75

-62.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.46 €3.08

$3.26 $3.26

6.13%

Eggs

$4.22 €3.76

$4.17 $4.17

1.20%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.49 €9.33

$12.90 $12.90

-18.68%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.19 €10.84

$14.16 $14.16

-13.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$18.21 €16.20

$16.22 $16.22

12.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.86 €3.44

$4.33 $4.33

-10.85%

Banana (1kg)

$2.74 €2.44

$1.46 $1.46

87.67%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.83 €3.40

$4.51 $4.51

-15.08%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.69 €3.28

$4.34 $4.34

-14.98%

Potato (1kg)

$1.92 €1.71

$2.58 $2.58

-25.58%

Onion (1kg)

$3.42 €3.04

$2.35 $2.35

45.53%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.19 €1.94

$1.78 $1.78

23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.22 $2.22

-30.63%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.36 €5.66

$9.88 $9.88

-35.63%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.11 €5.44

$15.08 $15.08

-59.48%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 €2.11

$2.92 $2.92

-18.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.28 €2.03

$3.46 $3.46

-34.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.37 €2.11

$1.49 $1.49

59.06%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.95 €3.52

$2.73 $2.73

44.69%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 €1.58

$1.66 $1.66

7.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$32.04 €28.50

$35.30 $35.30

-9.24%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.52 €1.35

$0.95 $0.95

60.00%

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

$27.8K €24.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-22.83%

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

$39.1K €34.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

44.42%

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

$156 €138

$229 $229

-32.05%

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

$31.66 €28.16

$59.4 $59.4

-46.69%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.94 €25.74

$69.9 $69.9

-58.60%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$70.5 €62.7

$57.2 $57.2

23.08%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$11.36 €10.11

$14.28 $14.28

-20.45%

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

$279 €248

$1,506 $1,506

-81.48%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.2K €10.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

-42.93%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.8 €51.4

$52.8 $52.8

9.37%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.0 €60.5

$43.82 $43.82

55.20%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 €98.8

$84.8 $84.8

30.99%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$130 €116

$103 $103

26.39%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,106 €984

$1,907 $1,907

-42.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$819 €728

$1,274 $1,274

-35.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,794 €1,595

$3,664 $3,664

-51.05%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 €1,505

$2,538 $2,538

-33.32%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,111 €3,657

$7,614 $7,614

-46.00%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,697 €2,399

$3,157 $3,157

-14.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.05

6.79

-40.35%

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

Last update for Lija: 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

Lija

$819 41.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 55.6% $455

Groceries & Markets

Lija

$343 17.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 17.9% $61

Eating Out

Lija

$313 15.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 12.9% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Lija

$216 11%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 65.7% $142

Clothing & Footwear

Lija

$165 8.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 22.5% $37

Sport & Entertainment

Lija

$93 4.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 7.9% $7.4

Getting Around

Lija

$22 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 163% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,106 in Lija and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $91.0 in Lija vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $343 vs $405, with Lija cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇲🇹 Lija

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:01 8:01 PM

13:01 1:01 PM

7 h behind Lija

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

3,200

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Lija Austin, TX 9,810 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Lija
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

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

Lija wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lija the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,958 in Lija 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: $1,106 in Lija versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $279 in Lija versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lija – a meal for two runs $91.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $1,972 in Lija versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Lija but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lija 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, Lija 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 Lija gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.