Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Moscow and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Moscow: $1,793 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Moscow
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Moscow Living Index
129

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

Jump to prices

Moscow

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,793

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,793 in Moscow versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Moscow $1,793
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,813 in Moscow versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Moscow $2,813
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,833 in Moscow versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Moscow $3,833
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Moscow costs roughly 34% 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 34% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.81 ₽1,004

$20.22 $20.22

-41.59%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$57.9 ₽4,925

$85.0 $85.0

-31.87%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.25 ₽617

$12.35 $12.35

-41.30%

Cappuccino

$3.64 ₽310

$5.47 $5.47

-33.46%

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

$1.65 ₽140

$3.82 $3.82

-56.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.81 ₽68.7

$2.50 $2.50

-67.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.72 ₽401

$8.06 $8.06

-41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.42 ₽461

$8.99 $8.99

-39.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 ₽106

$1.13 $1.13

10.62%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 ₽85.4

$3.78 $3.78

-73.54%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.71 ₽146

$3.25 $3.25

-47.38%

Eggs

$1.91 ₽163

$4.14 $4.14

-53.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.59 ₽1,241

$13.08 $13.08

11.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.65 ₽566

$14.31 $14.31

-53.53%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.46 ₽1,229

$15.96 $15.96

-9.40%

Apples (1kg)

$2.03 ₽173

$4.38 $4.38

-53.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.86 ₽158

$1.45 $1.45

28.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 ₽173

$4.54 $4.54

-55.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.93 ₽334

$4.19 $4.19

-6.21%

Potato (1kg)

$0.93 ₽78.7

$2.63 $2.63

-64.64%

Onion (1kg)

$0.70 ₽59.8

$2.36 $2.36

-70.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 ₽132

$1.76 $1.76

-11.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.96 ₽81.4

$2.16 $2.16

-55.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$3.41 ₽290

$9.81 $9.81

-65.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.56 ₽983

$14.72 $14.72

-21.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 ₽102

$2.78 $2.78

-56.83%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.49 ₽212

$3.48 $3.48

-28.45%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.95 ₽80.9

$1.49 $1.49

-36.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.22 ₽3,419

$40.51 $40.51

-0.72%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.56 ₽302

$2.67 $2.67

33.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.86 ₽72.9

$1.58 $1.58

-45.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$11.77 ₽1,001

$35.29 $35.29

-66.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.90 ₽76.1

$0.99 $0.99

-9.09%

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

$38.7K ₽3.3M

$35.8K $35.8K

8.10%

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

$38.0K ₽3.2M

$27.2K $27.2K

39.88%

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

$191 ₽16.2K

$219 $219

-12.97%

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

$8.72 ₽741

$58.0 $58.0

-84.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$9.98 ₽848

$68.4 $68.4

-85.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.15 ₽3,584

$57.9 $57.9

-27.20%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.14 ₽3,838

$14.82 $14.82

204.59%

Cinema Ticket

$9.31 ₽792

$14.13 $14.13

-34.11%

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

$811 ₽68.9K

$1,509 $1,509

-46.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.0K ₽2.3M

$21.5K $21.5K

25.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$110 ₽9,356

$51.7 $51.7

113.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$63.4 ₽5,386

$44.05 $44.05

43.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$146 ₽12.4K

$85.1 $85.1

71.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$184 ₽15.6K

$105 $105

74.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,469 ₽124.9K

$1,932 $1,932

-24.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$820 ₽69.7K

$1,272 $1,272

-35.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,026 ₽257.3K

$3,670 $3,670

-17.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 ₽127.1K

$2,525 $2,525

-40.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$9,853 ₽837.7K

$7,617 $7,617

29.35%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,613 ₽392.2K

$3,199 $3,199

44.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,741 ₽148.0K

$5,105 $5,105

-65.90%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

19.56

6.79

188.07%

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

Last update for Moscow: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Moscow

$820 44.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 55.2% $453

Groceries & Markets

Moscow

$263 14.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 53.5% $140

Clothing & Footwear

Moscow

$226 12.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 43.1% $98

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Moscow

$210 11.4%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 65% $136

Eating Out

Moscow

$204 11.1%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 70.4% $144

Sport & Entertainment

Moscow

$61 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 41.8% $25

Getting Around

Moscow

$52 2.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 9.9% $5.1

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,469 in Moscow and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 193% 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: $58.0 in Moscow vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $263 vs $403 per month, with Moscow cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Moscow

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:52 5:52 AM

21:52 9:52 PM

8 h behind Moscow

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,700,000 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.02 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.36 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Moscow Austin, TX 9,560 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Moscow
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Moscow wins on cost – living expenses run 51% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Moscow the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 193% 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: $1,469 in Moscow versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,793 per month in Moscow versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 51% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Moscow runs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,793 in Moscow versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Moscow but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Moscow the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Moscow delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,793 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Moscow hard to pass up.

Expats usually find Moscow gentler on the wallet – expenses run 51% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.