Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semarang and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Semarang: $599 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

29

Cost of Living Index in Semarang
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Semarang Living Index
130

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

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Semarang

🇮🇩 Indonesia

$599

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $599 in Semarang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Semarang $599
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $945 in Semarang versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Semarang $945
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,292 in Semarang versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Semarang $1,292
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Semarang costs roughly 78% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Semarang is 56% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$1.39 Rp 25.0K

$20.77 $20.77

-93.31%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$10.63 Rp 191.3K

$84.6 $84.6

-87.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.07 Rp 55.3K

$12.32 $12.32

-75.08%

Cappuccino

$1.28 Rp 23.1K

$5.63 $5.63

-77.26%

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

$0.48 Rp 8,633

$3.72 $3.72

-87.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.20 Rp 3,641

$2.50 $2.50

-92.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.62 Rp 29.2K

$8.05 $8.05

-79.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 Rp 61.1K

$9.01 $9.01

-62.38%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.07 Rp 19.3K

$1.12 $1.12

-4.46%

White Bread (500g)

$0.89 Rp 16.1K

$3.75 $3.75

-76.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.78 Rp 14.0K

$3.26 $3.26

-76.07%

Eggs

$1.24 Rp 22.3K

$4.17 $4.17

-70.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$3.99 Rp 71.9K

$12.90 $12.90

-69.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$2.44 Rp 44.0K

$14.16 $14.16

-82.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$7.53 Rp 135.5K

$16.22 $16.22

-53.58%

Apples (1kg)

$2.07 Rp 37.3K

$4.33 $4.33

-52.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.27 Rp 22.8K

$1.46 $1.46

-13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.84 Rp 33.2K

$4.51 $4.51

-59.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.49 Rp 26.8K

$4.34 $4.34

-65.67%

Potato (1kg)

$1.37 Rp 24.6K

$2.58 $2.58

-46.90%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 Rp 35.7K

$2.35 $2.35

-15.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.90 Rp 16.3K

$1.78 $1.78

-49.44%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.42 Rp 7,529

$2.22 $2.22

-81.08%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$1.96 Rp 35.3K

$9.88 $9.88

-80.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$24.63 Rp 443.3K

$15.08 $15.08

63.33%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.70 Rp 30.6K

$2.92 $2.92

-41.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.00 Rp 36.1K

$3.46 $3.46

-42.20%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.21 Rp 3,778

$1.49 $1.49

-85.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$14.21 Rp 255.8K

$41.72 $41.72

-65.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.47 Rp 8,539

$2.73 $2.73

-82.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.27 Rp 4,808

$1.66 $1.66

-83.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$2.72 Rp 49.0K

$35.30 $35.30

-92.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.82 Rp 14.8K

$0.95 $0.95

-13.68%

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

$25.2K Rp 453.9M

$36.0K $36.0K

-30.05%

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

$32.3K Rp 581.4M

$27.1K $27.1K

19.31%

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

$85.9 Rp 1.5M

$229 $229

-62.48%

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

$2.64 Rp 47.5K

$59.4 $59.4

-95.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$19.37 Rp 348.6K

$69.9 $69.9

-72.29%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$20.70 Rp 372.6K

$57.2 $57.2

-63.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$4.68 Rp 84.2K

$16.33 $16.33

-71.34%

Cinema Ticket

$2.19 Rp 39.4K

$14.28 $14.28

-84.66%

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

$51.1 Rp 920.3K

$1,506 $1,506

-96.60%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$2,063 Rp 37.1M

$21.5K $21.5K

-90.38%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$35.51 Rp 639.1K

$52.8 $52.8

-32.76%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.67 Rp 534.1K

$43.82 $43.82

-32.29%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$56.9 Rp 1.0M

$84.8 $84.8

-32.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$38.38 Rp 690.8K

$103 $103

-62.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$231 Rp 4.1M

$1,907 $1,907

-87.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$138 Rp 2.5M

$1,274 $1,274

-89.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$498 Rp 9.0M

$3,664 $3,664

-86.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$378 Rp 6.8M

$2,538 $2,538

-85.10%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,211 Rp 21.8M

$7,614 $7,614

-84.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$825 Rp 14.9M

$3,157 $3,157

-73.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$191 Rp 3.4M

$5,121 $5,121

-96.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

8.82

6.79

29.90%

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

Last update for Semarang: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Groceries & Markets

Semarang

$186 31%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 118% $219

Accommodation & Living

Semarang

$138 23%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 826% $1.1K

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semarang

$108 18%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 232% $250

Clothing & Footwear

Semarang

$72 12.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 77.3% $56

Eating Out

Semarang

$53 8.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 564% $301

Sport & Entertainment

Semarang

$25 4.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 242% $61

Getting Around

Semarang

$17 2.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 248% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $231 in Semarang and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2584% 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: $11.00 in Semarang vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $186 vs $405 per month, with Semarang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇮🇩 Semarang

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

18:29 6:29 PM

06:29 6:29 AM

12 h behind Semarang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,555,984

974,447

💱 Currency

Indonesian Rupiah IDR Rp

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD

100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to IDR – Indonesian Rupiah Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇮🇩 Indonesian Rupiah (Rp)

Indonesian Rupiah exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 18,000 IDR (100,000 IDR = 5.56 USD). 1 EUR = 20,236 IDR (100,000 IDR = 4.94 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to IDR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Semarang Austin, TX 16,100 km ≈ 21 h nonstop flight

From you

Semarang
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

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

Semarang wins on cost – living expenses run 345% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Semarang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 2584% 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: $231 in Semarang 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 $599 per month in Semarang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 345% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Semarang runs roughly 194% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $599 in Semarang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Semarang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Semarang 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 Semarang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 345% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.