Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Skudai and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Skudai: $900 a month against $2,607 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Skudai, Malaysia
Austin, TX, United States
Skudai
🇲🇾 Malaysia
$900
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,607
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $900 in Skudai versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

  • Skudai $900
  • Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,370 in Skudai versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

  • Skudai $1,370
  • Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $1,840 in Skudai versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

  • Skudai $1,840
  • Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Skudai costs roughly 65% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Skudai is 34% below, Austin, TX is 92% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$3.63 MYR 14.82
$20.35 $20.35
-82.16%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$18.25 MYR 74.5
$84.7 $84.7
-78.46%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$4.90 MYR 20.03
$12.12 $12.12
-59.57%
Cappuccino
$2.87 MYR 11.72
$5.65 $5.65
-49.20%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.83 MYR 3.39
$3.68 $3.68
-77.45%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$0.45 MYR 1.83
$2.36 $2.36
-80.93%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$3.33 MYR 13.61
$7.87 $7.87
-57.69%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.62 MYR 22.95
$8.82 $8.82
-36.28%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.74 MYR 7.11
$1.14 $1.14
52.63%
White Bread (500g)
$1.02 MYR 4.18
$3.69 $3.69
-72.36%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$1.48 MYR 6.06
$3.31 $3.31
-55.29%
Eggs
$1.66 MYR 6.78
$4.15 $4.15
-60.00%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$9.64 MYR 39.40
$12.98 $12.98
-25.73%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$3.20 MYR 13.07
$13.86 $13.86
-76.91%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$9.61 MYR 39.24
$16.34 $16.34
-41.19%
Apples (1kg)
$3.42 MYR 13.96
$4.69 $4.69
-27.08%
Banana (1kg)
$1.70 MYR 6.94
$1.45 $1.45
17.24%
Oranges (1kg)
$2.61 MYR 10.68
$5.11 $5.11
-48.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$1.64 MYR 6.68
$4.52 $4.52
-63.72%
Potato (1kg)
$1.41 MYR 5.74
$3.08 $3.08
-54.22%
Onion (1kg)
$1.73 MYR 7.08
$2.38 $2.38
-27.31%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.37 MYR 5.59
$1.80 $1.80
-23.89%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.51 MYR 2.09
$2.22 $2.22
-77.03%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$4.28 MYR 17.48
$9.97 $9.97
-57.07%
Wine (Bottle)
$13.83 MYR 56.5
$15.05 $15.05
-8.11%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.74 MYR 11.18
$2.91 $2.91
-5.84%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.99 MYR 12.21
$3.33 $3.33
-10.21%
🚌 Getting Around
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$0.83 MYR 3.40
$1.22 $1.22
-31.97%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$10.95 MYR 44.74
$40.53 $40.53
-72.98%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$1.01 MYR 4.13
$2.78 $2.78
-63.67%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$0.36 MYR 1.46
$1.65 $1.65
-78.18%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$9.03 MYR 36.89
$35.39 $35.39
-74.48%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.86 MYR 3.50
$0.95 $0.95
-9.47%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$44.3K MYR 180.8K
$34.2K $34.2K
29.44%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$36.0K MYR 147.1K
$26.8K $26.8K
34.53%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$48.79 MYR 199
$223 $223
-78.12%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$8.16 MYR 33.35
$58.5 $58.5
-86.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$26.88 MYR 110
$71.2 $71.2
-62.23%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$36.95 MYR 151
$53.0 $53.0
-30.34%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$7.55 MYR 30.84
$16.75 $16.75
-54.93%
Cinema Ticket
$4.93 MYR 20.16
$14.06 $14.06
-64.94%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$235 MYR 961
$1,459 $1,459
-83.88%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$4,393 MYR 17.9K
$21.3K $21.3K
-79.42%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$50.5 MYR 206
$52.5 $52.5
-3.77%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$16.62 MYR 67.9
$42.75 $42.75
-61.12%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$77.2 MYR 316
$86.4 $86.4
-10.64%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$85.4 MYR 349
$104 $104
-17.69%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$357 MYR 1,460
$2,112 $2,112
-83.08%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$311 MYR 1,269
$1,230 $1,230
-74.75%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$650 MYR 2,657
$3,863 $3,863
-83.16%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$565 MYR 2,308
$2,407 $2,407
-76.52%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$1,956 MYR 7,990
$7,426 $7,426
-73.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$1,161 MYR 4,742
$3,060 $3,060
-62.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Skudai
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
-
$5,179 $5,179
-
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
4.06
6.82
-40.47%

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

Last update for Skudai: October 26, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Skudai
$311
Austin, TX
$1.2K 296% $920
Groceries & Markets
Skudai
$226
Austin, TX
$410 80.9% $183
Eating Out
Skudai
$111
Austin, TX
$348 213% $237
Clothing & Footwear
Skudai
$103
Austin, TX
$128 24.2% $25
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Skudai
$84
Austin, TX
$353 321% $269
Sport & Entertainment
Skudai
$47
Austin, TX
$81 73.3% $34
Getting Around
Skudai
$17
Austin, TX
$56 231% $39

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $357 in Skudai and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $18 in Skudai vs $85 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $226 vs $410 per month, with Skudai cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇲🇾 Skudai
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
01:05 1:05 AM
12:05 12:05 PM
13 h behind Skudai
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
159,733
974,447
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to MYR – Malaysian Ringgit Converter

Malaysian Ringgit exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 USD = 4.09 MYR (1 MYR = 0.245 USD). 1 EUR = 4.57 MYR (1 MYR = 0.219 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 27, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.895 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Skudai Austin, TX 15,810 km ≈ 20 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Skudai
  • 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
Skudai vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Skudai or Austin, TX?
Skudai wins on cost – living expenses run 65% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Skudai the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
How much do you need to earn to live comfortably in Skudai and in Austin, TX?
You’d need roughly $1,349 in Skudai and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Skudai compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $357 in Skudai versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Skudai compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you’ll spend $900 per month in Skudai versus $2,607 in Austin, TX – a 190% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Skudai compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Skudai runs roughly 73% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,200/month in Skudai or in Austin, TX?
At $900 in Skudai versus $2,607 in Austin, TX, a $1,200 budget is realistic in Skudai but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Skudai the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Skudai or Austin, TX?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Skudai gentler on the wallet – expenses run 65% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Skudai vs other spots: cost of living compared

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