Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Tulcea and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Tulcea: $983 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.

48

Cost of Living Index in Tulcea
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Tulcea Living Index
130

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

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Tulcea

🇷🇴 Romania

$983

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $983 in Tulcea versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Tulcea $983
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,558 in Tulcea versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Tulcea $1,558
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,132 in Tulcea versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Tulcea $2,132
Austin, TX $5,603

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

The two cities straddle the global median: Tulcea is 27% below, Austin, TX is 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$11.48 RON 54.3

$20.77 $20.77

-44.73%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.41 RON 220

$84.6 $84.6

-45.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$7.59 RON 35.90

$12.32 $12.32

-38.39%

Cappuccino

$2.06 RON 9.77

$5.63 $5.63

-63.41%

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

$2.12 RON 10.03

$3.72 $3.72

-43.01%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.08 RON 5.12

$2.50 $2.50

-56.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.14 RON 10.14

$8.05 $8.05

-73.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.07 RON 9.82

$9.01 $9.01

-77.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.62 RON 7.65

$1.12 $1.12

44.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.02 RON 4.84

$3.75 $3.75

-72.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.45 RON 6.84

$3.26 $3.26

-55.52%

Eggs

$3.04 RON 14.40

$4.17 $4.17

-27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.65 RON 36.20

$12.90 $12.90

-40.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$6.87 RON 32.48

$14.16 $14.16

-51.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$9.52 RON 45.06

$16.22 $16.22

-41.31%

Apples (1kg)

$1.33 RON 6.31

$4.33 $4.33

-69.28%

Banana (1kg)

$1.65 RON 7.81

$1.46 $1.46

13.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.43 RON 6.74

$4.51 $4.51

-68.29%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.95 RON 9.21

$4.34 $4.34

-55.07%

Potato (1kg)

$0.74 RON 3.50

$2.58 $2.58

-71.32%

Onion (1kg)

$0.71 RON 3.36

$2.35 $2.35

-69.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.69 RON 3.27

$1.78 $1.78

-61.24%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 RON 3.55

$2.22 $2.22

-66.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$6.29 RON 29.76

$9.88 $9.88

-36.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.36 RON 30.09

$15.08 $15.08

-57.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.92 RON 4.34

$2.92 $2.92

-68.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.38 RON 6.53

$3.46 $3.46

-60.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.06 RON 5.03

$1.49 $1.49

-28.86%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$17.85 RON 84.5

$41.72 $41.72

-57.21%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$0.62 RON 2.93

$2.73 $2.73

-77.29%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.64 RON 3.04

$1.66 $1.66

-61.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$6.45 RON 30.51

$35.30 $35.30

-81.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.69 RON 8.02

$0.95 $0.95

77.89%

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

$28.3K RON 133.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.53%

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

$25.0K RON 118.2K

$27.1K $27.1K

-7.75%

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

$132 RON 625

$229 $229

-42.36%

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

$7.86 RON 37.19

$59.4 $59.4

-86.77%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.82 RON 41.73

$69.9 $69.9

-87.38%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.42 RON 149

$57.2 $57.2

-45.11%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.85 RON 79.7

$16.33 $16.33

3.18%

Cinema Ticket

$8.48 RON 40.11

$14.28 $14.28

-40.62%

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

$319 RON 1,510

$1,506 $1,506

-78.81%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$3,075 RON 14.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-85.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 RON 250

$52.8 $52.8

-0.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.21 RON 148

$43.82 $43.82

-28.78%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$90.4 RON 428

$84.8 $84.8

6.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$96.2 RON 455

$103 $103

-6.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$349 RON 1,652

$1,907 $1,907

-81.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$274 RON 1,296

$1,274 $1,274

-78.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$592 RON 2,800

$3,664 $3,664

-83.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$502 RON 2,374

$2,538 $2,538

-80.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,022 RON 4,836

$7,614 $7,614

-86.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$864 RON 4,089

$3,157 $3,157

-72.63%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$646 RON 3,055

$5,121 $5,121

-87.39%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.85

6.79

0.88%

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

Last update for Tulcea: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Tulcea

$274 27.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 365% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Tulcea

$198 20.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 105% $207

Eating Out

Tulcea

$167 17%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 112% $187

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Tulcea

$149 15.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 141% $210

Clothing & Footwear

Tulcea

$122 12.4%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 5.1% $6.2

Sport & Entertainment

Tulcea

$48 4.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 77.4% $37

Getting Around

Tulcea

$26 2.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 126% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $349 in Tulcea and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 693% 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: $46.00 in Tulcea vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $198 vs $405 per month, with Tulcea cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇴 Tulcea

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

12:10 12:10 PM

04:10 4:10 AM

8 h behind Tulcea

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

73,707

974,447

💱 Currency

Romanian Leu RON lei

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 RON = 0.211 USD

1 RON = 0.188 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RON – Romanian Leu Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇴 Romanian Leu (lei)

Romanian Leu exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 4.73 RON (1 RON = 0.211 USD). 1 EUR = 5.32 RON (1 RON = 0.188 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to RON in detail →

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Between locations

Tulcea Austin, TX 10,040 km ≈ 13 h nonstop flight

From you

Tulcea
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

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

Tulcea wins on cost – living expenses run 171% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tulcea the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 693% 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: $349 in Tulcea 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 $983 per month in Tulcea versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 171% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tulcea runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $983 in Tulcea versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Tulcea but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tulcea 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, Tulcea 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 Tulcea gentler on the wallet – expenses run 171% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.