Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Malacca and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Malacca: $612 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

30

Cost of Living Index in Malacca
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Malacca Living Index
130

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

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Malacca

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$612

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $612 in Malacca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Malacca $612
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $977 in Malacca versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Malacca $977
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,343 in Malacca versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Malacca $1,343
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Malacca costs roughly 77% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Malacca is 55% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.27 MYR 13.36

$20.77 $20.77

-84.26%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.71 MYR 76.3

$84.6 $84.6

-77.88%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$4.80 MYR 19.60

$12.32 $12.32

-61.04%

Cappuccino

$2.83 MYR 11.56

$5.63 $5.63

-49.73%

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

$0.77 MYR 3.15

$3.72 $3.72

-79.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.54 MYR 2.21

$2.50 $2.50

-78.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.93 MYR 7.87

$8.05 $8.05

-76.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 MYR 12.10

$9.01 $9.01

-67.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 MYR 7.03

$1.12 $1.12

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$1.11 MYR 4.52

$3.75 $3.75

-70.40%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.42 MYR 5.78

$3.26 $3.26

-56.44%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$4.17 $4.17

-58.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.49 MYR 75.4

$12.90 $12.90

43.33%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.59 MYR 18.73

$14.16 $14.16

-67.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.83 MYR 44.18

$16.22 $16.22

-33.23%

Apples (1kg)

$3.26 MYR 13.29

$4.33 $4.33

-24.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.46 $1.46

20.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.38 MYR 9.72

$4.51 $4.51

-47.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.64 MYR 6.69

$4.34 $4.34

-62.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.47 MYR 5.99

$2.58 $2.58

-43.02%

Onion (1kg)

$1.74 MYR 7.09

$2.35 $2.35

-25.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.37 MYR 5.61

$1.78 $1.78

-23.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 MYR 2.23

$2.22 $2.22

-75.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.19 MYR 17.11

$9.88 $9.88

-57.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.92 MYR 56.8

$15.08 $15.08

-7.69%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.17 MYR 8.84

$2.92 $2.92

-25.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 MYR 12.67

$3.46 $3.46

-10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.47 MYR 1.92

$1.49 $1.49

-68.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.40 MYR 50.6

$41.72 $41.72

-70.28%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$2.73 $2.73

-63.37%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.70 MYR 2.85

$1.66 $1.66

-57.83%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$12.03 MYR 49.08

$35.30 $35.30

-65.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.51 MYR 2.10

$0.95 $0.95

-46.32%

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

$41.7K MYR 170.3K

$36.0K $36.0K

15.79%

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

$34.9K MYR 142.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

28.90%

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

$51.7 MYR 211

$229 $229

-77.42%

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

$11.20 MYR 45.69

$59.4 $59.4

-81.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.12 MYR 115

$69.9 $69.9

-59.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.13 MYR 90.3

$57.2 $57.2

-61.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.76 MYR 47.97

$16.33 $16.33

-27.99%

Cinema Ticket

$5.02 MYR 20.49

$14.28 $14.28

-64.85%

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

$163 MYR 665

$1,506 $1,506

-89.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,501 MYR 18.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-79.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$54.7 MYR 223

$52.8 $52.8

3.60%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.80 MYR 68.5

$43.82 $43.82

-61.66%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.3 MYR 336

$84.8 $84.8

-2.93%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.7 MYR 399

$103 $103

-5.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$192 MYR 784

$1,907 $1,907

-89.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,191 MYR 4,861

$7,614 $7,614

-84.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$804 MYR 3,280

$3,157 $3,157

-74.53%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$411 MYR 1,677

$5,121 $5,121

-91.97%

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 Malacca: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Malacca

$261 42.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 54.9% $143

Clothing & Footwear

Malacca

$113 18.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 13.1% $15

Eating Out

Malacca

$95 15.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 271% $258

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Malacca

$91 14.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 294% $267

Sport & Entertainment

Malacca

$32 5.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 167% $54

Getting Around

Malacca

$19 3.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 213% $40

Accommodation & Living

Malacca

- * 0%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

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 $192 in Malacca and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1146% 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 Malacca vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $261 vs $405 per month, with Malacca cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Malacca

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:57 12:57 AM

11:57 11:57 AM

13 h behind Malacca

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

579,000

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Malacca Austin, TX 15,830 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Malacca
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

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

Malacca wins on cost – living expenses run 335% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Malacca the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 1146% 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: $192 in Malacca 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 $612 per month in Malacca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 335% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Malacca runs roughly 236% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $612 in Malacca versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Malacca but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Malacca the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Malacca delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $612 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Malacca hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Malacca 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 Malacca gentler on the wallet – expenses run 335% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.