Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow, ID and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Moscow, ID: $2,102 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Moscow, ID
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Moscow, ID Living Index
130

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

Jump to prices

Moscow, ID

🇺🇸 United States

$2,102

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,102 in Moscow, ID versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Moscow, ID $2,102
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,459 in Moscow, ID versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Moscow, ID $3,459
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,816 in Moscow, ID versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Moscow, ID $4,816
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Moscow, ID costs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Moscow, ID 56% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$9.03 $9.03

$20.77 $20.77

-56.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 $66.5

$84.6 $84.6

-21.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.46 $6.46

$12.32 $12.32

-47.56%

Cappuccino

$3.32 $3.32

$5.63 $5.63

-41.03%

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

$1.29 $1.29

$3.72 $3.72

-65.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.97 $1.97

$2.50 $2.50

-21.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.54 $5.54

$8.05 $8.05

-31.18%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.62 $4.62

$9.01 $9.01

-48.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.12 $1.12

-15.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.96 $2.96

$3.75 $3.75

-21.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.89 $3.89

$3.26 $3.26

19.33%

Eggs

$3.90 $3.90

$4.17 $4.17

-6.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$19.57 $19.57

$12.90 $12.90

51.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$17.46 $17.46

$14.16 $14.16

23.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.93 $19.93

$16.22 $16.22

22.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.97 $4.97

$4.33 $4.33

14.78%

Banana (1kg)

$0.87 $0.87

$1.46 $1.46

-40.41%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.18 $3.18

$4.51 $4.51

-29.49%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.42 $5.42

$4.34 $4.34

24.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.58 $2.58

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.02 $2.02

$2.35 $2.35

-14.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.61 $1.61

$1.78 $1.78

-9.55%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.91 $1.91

$2.22 $2.22

-13.96%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$8.68 $8.68

$9.88 $9.88

-12.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.42 $12.42

$15.08 $15.08

-17.64%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.75 $1.75

$2.92 $2.92

-40.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.64 $4.64

$3.46 $3.46

34.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.06 $4.06

$2.73 $2.73

48.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.12 $4.12

$1.66 $1.66

148.19%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$50.6 $50.6

$35.30 $35.30

43.23%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.97 $0.97

$0.95 $0.95

2.11%

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

$32.4K $32.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.26%

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

$28.8K $28.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

6.55%

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

$266 $266

$229 $229

16.01%

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

$39.12 $39.12

$59.4 $59.4

-34.13%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.3 $72.3

$69.9 $69.9

3.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$147 $147

$57.2 $57.2

156.22%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.94 $14.94

$14.28 $14.28

4.62%

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

$1,601 $1,601

$1,506 $1,506

6.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.8K $20.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

-2.89%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$29.55 $29.55

$52.8 $52.8

-44.04%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.53 $40.53

$43.82 $43.82

-7.51%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.6 $86.6

$84.8 $84.8

2.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$60.9 $60.9

$103 $103

-40.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$976 $976

$1,907 $1,907

-48.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$816 $816

$1,274 $1,274

-35.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,277 $2,277

$3,664 $3,664

-37.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,097 $2,097

$2,538 $2,538

-17.37%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,870 $3,870

$7,614 $7,614

-49.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,851 $3,851

$3,157 $3,157

21.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,943 $2,943

$5,121 $5,121

-42.53%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.54

6.79

-3.68%

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

Last update for Moscow, ID: 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

Moscow, ID

$816 38.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 56.2% $458

Groceries & Markets

Moscow, ID

$429 20.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 5.6% $24

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow, ID

$377 17.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 5% $19

Eating Out

Moscow, ID

$181 8.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 95% $172

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow, ID

$177 8.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 51.4% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow, ID

$98 4.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 30.7% $30

Getting Around

Moscow, ID

$25 * 1.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 138% $34

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 $976 in Moscow, ID and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 74% 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: $66.0 in Moscow, ID vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $429 vs $405, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Moscow, ID

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

00:15 12:15 AM

02:15 2:15 AM

2 h ahead of Moscow, ID

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

22,352

974,447

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moscow, ID Austin, TX 2,470 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Moscow, ID
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

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

Moscow, ID wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Moscow, ID the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 74% 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: $976 in Moscow, ID versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,601 in Moscow, ID 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 Moscow, ID – a meal for two runs $66.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,102 in Moscow, ID versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Moscow, ID but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Moscow, ID 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.

Expats usually find Moscow, ID gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.