Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Serdang and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Serdang: $978 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

47

Cost of Living Index in Serdang
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Serdang Living Index
130

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

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Serdang

🇲🇾 Malaysia

$978

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $978 in Serdang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Serdang $978
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,422 in Serdang versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Serdang $1,422
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,865 in Serdang versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Serdang $1,865
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Serdang costs roughly 63% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Serdang is 28% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$2.52 MYR 10.29

$20.77 $20.77

-87.87%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$17.01 MYR 69.4

$84.6 $84.6

-79.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$3.58 MYR 14.62

$12.32 $12.32

-70.94%

Cappuccino

$2.01 MYR 8.20

$5.63 $5.63

-64.30%

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

$0.84 MYR 3.44

$3.72 $3.72

-77.42%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.47 MYR 1.93

$2.50 $2.50

-81.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.43 MYR 18.06

$8.05 $8.05

-44.97%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.02 MYR 24.56

$9.01 $9.01

-33.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.13 MYR 8.68

$1.12 $1.12

90.18%

White Bread (500g)

$1.10 MYR 4.51

$3.75 $3.75

-70.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.95 MYR 7.95

$3.26 $3.26

-40.18%

Eggs

$2.49 MYR 10.14

$4.17 $4.17

-40.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.89 MYR 56.7

$12.90 $12.90

7.67%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$4.47 MYR 18.24

$14.16 $14.16

-68.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.92 MYR 40.47

$16.22 $16.22

-38.84%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 MYR 14.02

$4.33 $4.33

-20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$1.76 MYR 7.18

$1.46 $1.46

20.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.27 MYR 9.26

$4.51 $4.51

-49.67%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.60 MYR 6.52

$4.34 $4.34

-63.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.27 MYR 5.19

$2.58 $2.58

-50.78%

Onion (1kg)

$1.35 MYR 5.51

$2.35 $2.35

-42.55%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.12 MYR 4.57

$1.78 $1.78

-37.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.72 MYR 2.93

$2.22 $2.22

-67.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$4.53 MYR 18.47

$9.88 $9.88

-54.15%

Wine (Bottle)

$19.72 MYR 80.4

$15.08 $15.08

30.77%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.50 MYR 14.29

$2.92 $2.92

19.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.91 MYR 20.01

$3.46 $3.46

41.91%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.69 MYR 2.82

$1.49 $1.49

-53.69%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$13.93 MYR 56.8

$41.72 $41.72

-66.61%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.19 MYR 4.85

$2.73 $2.73

-56.41%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.25 MYR 5.09

$1.66 $1.66

-24.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$4.96 MYR 20.23

$35.30 $35.30

-85.95%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.88 MYR 3.61

$0.95 $0.95

-7.37%

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

$41.5K MYR 169.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

15.21%

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

$34.4K MYR 140.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

26.98%

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

$61.8 MYR 252

$229 $229

-73.00%

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

$8.90 MYR 36.30

$59.4 $59.4

-85.01%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$26.69 MYR 109

$69.9 $69.9

-61.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$42.43 MYR 173

$57.2 $57.2

-25.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$7.33 MYR 29.89

$16.33 $16.33

-55.11%

Cinema Ticket

$5.12 MYR 20.88

$14.28 $14.28

-64.15%

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

$298 MYR 1,215

$1,506 $1,506

-80.21%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$13.0K MYR 53.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-39.34%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$71.1 MYR 290

$52.8 $52.8

34.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.18 MYR 168

$43.82 $43.82

-6.02%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.3 MYR 348

$84.8 $84.8

0.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$97.3 MYR 397

$103 $103

-5.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$394 MYR 1,607

$1,907 $1,907

-79.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$302 MYR 1,231

$1,274 $1,274

-76.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$685 MYR 2,794

$3,664 $3,664

-81.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$430 MYR 1,753

$2,538 $2,538

-83.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,783 MYR 7,272

$7,614 $7,614

-76.59%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,004 MYR 4,096

$3,157 $3,157

-68.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$964 MYR 3,932

$5,121 $5,121

-81.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

4.18

6.79

-38.44%

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

Last update for Serdang: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Serdang

$302 30.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 322% $972

Groceries & Markets

Serdang

$275 28.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 47.1% $130

Clothing & Footwear

Serdang

$133 13.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 3.5% $4.7

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Serdang

$97 10%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 268% $261

Eating Out

Serdang

$94 9.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 275% $259

Sport & Entertainment

Serdang

$53 5.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 62.9% $33

Getting Around

Serdang

$24 2.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 143% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $394 in Serdang and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 431% 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: $17.00 in Serdang vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $275 vs $405 per month, with Serdang cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇲🇾 Serdang

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:21 7:21 AM

18:21 6:21 PM

13 h behind Serdang

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

130,252

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

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Between locations

Serdang Austin, TX 15,770 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight

From you

Serdang
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

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

Serdang wins on cost – living expenses run 172% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Serdang the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 431% 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: $394 in Serdang 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 $978 per month in Serdang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 172% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Serdang runs roughly 199% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $978 in Serdang versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Serdang but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Serdang 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, Serdang 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 Serdang gentler on the wallet – expenses run 172% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.