Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Semenyih and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Semenyih: $958 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Semenyih
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Semenyih Living Index
129

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

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Semenyih

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$958

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $958 in Semenyih versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Semenyih $958
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,428 in Semenyih versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Semenyih $1,428
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,899 in Semenyih versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Semenyih $1,899
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Semenyih costs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Semenyih is 29% below, Austin, TX is 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$3.71 MYR 15.14

$20.63 $20.63

-82.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$18.05 MYR 73.6

$84.6 $84.6

-78.66%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.05 MYR 20.59

$12.07 $12.07

-58.16%

Cappuccino

$2.90 MYR 11.83

$5.48 $5.48

-47.08%

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

$0.64 MYR 2.61

$3.80 $3.80

-83.16%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.59 MYR 2.42

$2.47 $2.47

-76.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.29 MYR 17.49

$8.05 $8.05

-46.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.07 MYR 24.78

$8.88 $8.88

-31.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 MYR 6.88

$1.11 $1.11

52.25%

White Bread (500g)

$1.00 MYR 4.09

$3.72 $3.72

-73.12%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.85

$3.37 $3.37

-57.57%

Eggs

$1.72 MYR 7.02

$4.32 $4.32

-60.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$18.23 MYR 74.4

$13.13 $13.13

38.84%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.66 MYR 19.00

$14.15 $14.15

-67.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.49 MYR 42.80

$16.33 $16.33

-35.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.24 MYR 13.23

$4.55 $4.55

-28.79%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 MYR 6.92

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.82 MYR 15.60

$4.71 $4.71

-18.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.62 MYR 6.62

$4.15 $4.15

-60.96%

Potato (1kg)

$1.43 MYR 5.83

$2.58 $2.58

-44.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.68 MYR 6.84

$2.35 $2.35

-28.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.38 MYR 5.62

$1.77 $1.77

-22.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.51 MYR 2.07

$2.14 $2.14

-76.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.24 MYR 17.30

$10.10 $10.10

-58.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.80 MYR 56.3

$15.19 $15.19

-9.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.87 MYR 11.71

$2.82 $2.82

1.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.12 MYR 12.73

$3.44 $3.44

-9.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.75 MYR 3.05

$1.54 $1.54

-51.30%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$12.19 MYR 49.73

$40.99 $40.99

-70.26%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.94 MYR 3.82

$2.80 $2.80

-66.43%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.71 MYR 2.89

$1.60 $1.60

-55.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$9.73 MYR 39.70

$34.34 $34.34

-71.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.52 MYR 2.13

$0.94 $0.94

-44.68%

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

$42.0K MYR 171.4K

$34.0K $34.0K

23.67%

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

$35.2K MYR 143.8K

$26.8K $26.8K

31.69%

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

$53.1 MYR 217

$223 $223

-76.15%

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

$11.18 MYR 45.59

$58.9 $58.9

-81.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$28.15 MYR 115

$70.6 $70.6

-60.12%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.45 MYR 165

$57.7 $57.7

-29.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.15 MYR 29.18

$16.53 $16.53

-56.75%

Cinema Ticket

$5.04 MYR 20.54

$14.26 $14.26

-64.66%

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

$161 MYR 657

$1,511 $1,511

-89.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$4,497 MYR 18.3K

$20.9K $20.9K

-78.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.9 MYR 220

$51.3 $51.3

5.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$16.40 MYR 66.9

$44.17 $44.17

-62.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$80.2 MYR 327

$87.0 $87.0

-7.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.2 MYR 405

$104 $104

-4.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$401 MYR 1,635

$1,940 $1,940

-79.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$299 MYR 1,219

$1,316 $1,316

-77.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$689 MYR 2,813

$3,664 $3,664

-81.18%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$476 MYR 1,940

$2,565 $2,565

-81.46%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,017 MYR 8,228

$7,354 $7,354

-72.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,075 MYR 4,386

$3,129 $3,129

-65.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$668 MYR 2,724

$5,286 $5,286

-87.37%

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 Semenyih: October 20, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Semenyih

$299 31.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 341% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Semenyih

$266 27.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 52.5% $140

Eating Out

Semenyih

$118 12.3%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 196% $232

Clothing & Footwear

Semenyih

$112 11.7%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 14.9% $17

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Semenyih

$92 9.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 281% $260

Sport & Entertainment

Semenyih

$51 5.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 70.7% $36

Getting Around

Semenyih

$20 2.1%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 195% $38

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $401 in Semenyih and $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 692% 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: $18.00 in Semenyih vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $266 vs $406 per month, with Semenyih cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Semenyih

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

16:09 4:09 PM

13 h behind Semenyih

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

45,000

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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to MYR in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Semenyih Austin, TX 15,780 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Semenyih
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

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

Semenyih wins on cost – living expenses run 182% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Semenyih the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 692% 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: $401 in Semenyih versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $958 per month in Semenyih versus $2,698 in Austin, TX – a 182% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Semenyih 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 $958 in Semenyih versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 budget is realistic in Semenyih but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Semenyih 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, Semenyih 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 Semenyih gentler on the wallet – expenses run 182% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.