Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ulan Ude and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ulan Ude: $1,098 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $19,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

53

Cost of Living Index in Ulan Ude
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Ulan Ude Living Index
129

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

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Ulan Ude

🇷🇺 Russia

$1,098

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,098 in Ulan Ude versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Ulan Ude $1,098
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $1,685 in Ulan Ude versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Ulan Ude $1,685
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,272 in Ulan Ude versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Ulan Ude $2,272
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Ulan Ude costs roughly 59% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Ulan Ude is 18% below, Austin, TX is 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$6.81 ₽579

$20.22 $20.22

-66.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$46.65 ₽3,969

$85.0 $85.0

-45.14%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$6.95 ₽591

$12.35 $12.35

-43.72%

Cappuccino

$3.47 ₽296

$5.47 $5.47

-36.56%

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

$1.80 ₽154

$3.82 $3.82

-52.88%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.73 ₽147

$2.50 $2.50

-30.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.65 ₽310

$8.06 $8.06

-54.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 ₽488

$8.99 $8.99

-36.15%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.26 ₽107

$1.13 $1.13

11.50%

White Bread (500g)

$0.84 ₽71.7

$3.78 $3.78

-77.78%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$0.45 ₽38.68

$3.25 $3.25

-86.15%

Eggs

$1.88 ₽160

$4.14 $4.14

-54.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.60 ₽987

$13.08 $13.08

-11.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$5.90 ₽502

$14.31 $14.31

-58.77%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.40 ₽885

$15.96 $15.96

-34.84%

Apples (1kg)

$1.21 ₽103

$4.38 $4.38

-72.37%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 ₽152

$1.45 $1.45

23.45%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.17 ₽99.3

$4.54 $4.54

-74.23%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.32 ₽198

$4.19 $4.19

-44.63%

Potato (1kg)

$0.58 ₽48.94

$2.63 $2.63

-77.95%

Onion (1kg)

$0.84 ₽71.5

$2.36 $2.36

-64.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$3.47 ₽295

$1.76 $1.76

97.16%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.73 ₽62.0

$2.16 $2.16

-66.20%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$2.85 ₽243

$9.81 $9.81

-70.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$8.17 ₽695

$14.72 $14.72

-44.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.58 ₽49.24

$2.78 $2.78

-79.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.19 ₽101

$3.48 $3.48

-65.80%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.46 ₽38.80

$1.49 $1.49

-69.13%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$23.18 ₽1,972

$40.51 $40.51

-42.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.21 ₽103

$2.67 $2.67

-54.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.17 ₽14.61

$1.58 $1.58

-89.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$7.10 ₽605

$35.29 $35.29

-79.88%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.78 ₽66.1

$0.99 $0.99

-21.21%

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

$47.6K ₽4.0M

$35.8K $35.8K

32.93%

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

$35.1K ₽3.0M

$27.2K $27.2K

29.07%

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

$118 ₽10.1K

$219 $219

-46.03%

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

$3.50 ₽298

$58.0 $58.0

-93.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$8.20 ₽698

$68.4 $68.4

-88.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$23.55 ₽2,004

$57.9 $57.9

-59.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$48.08 ₽4,091

$14.82 $14.82

224.43%

Cinema Ticket

$6.87 ₽585

$14.13 $14.13

-51.38%

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

$1,509 $1,509

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.4 ₽5,992

$51.7 $51.7

36.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.41 ₽2,503

$44.05 $44.05

-33.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 ₽9,919

$85.1 $85.1

37.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$119 ₽10.1K

$105 $105

13.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$501 ₽42.6K

$1,932 $1,932

-74.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$371 ₽31.5K

$1,272 $1,272

-70.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$773 ₽65.7K

$3,670 $3,670

-78.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$580 ₽49.3K

$2,525 $2,525

-77.05%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,977 ₽168.2K

$7,617 $7,617

-74.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,538 ₽130.9K

$3,199 $3,199

-51.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$884 ₽75.2K

$5,105 $5,105

-82.68%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

21.67

6.79

219.15%

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

Last update for Ulan Ude: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ulan Ude

$371 34.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 243% $902

Groceries & Markets

Ulan Ude

$207 19.1%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 95% $196

Eating Out

Ulan Ude

$161 14.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 116% $187

Clothing & Footwear

Ulan Ude

$151 13.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 14.7% $22

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ulan Ude

$130 12%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 166% $216

Sport & Entertainment

Ulan Ude

$37 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 131% $49

Getting Around

Ulan Ude

$27 2.5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 111% $30

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $501 in Ulan Ude and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 477% 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: $47.00 in Ulan Ude vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $207 vs $403 per month, with Ulan Ude cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇷🇺 Ulan Ude

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:20 7:20 PM

06:20 6:20 AM

13 h behind Ulan Ude

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

436,138

974,447

💱 Currency

Russian Ruble RUB ₽

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

100 RUB = 1.18 USD

100 RUB = 1.05 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to RUB – Russian Ruble Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇷🇺 Russian Ruble (₽)

Russian Ruble exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 85.09 RUB (100 RUB = 1.18 USD). 1 EUR = 95.35 RUB (100 RUB = 1.05 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to RUB in detail →

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Between locations

Ulan Ude Austin, TX 10,560 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Ulan Ude
Austin, TX

Distances are measured in a straight line. Your location is detected approximately.

City Median Internet Speeds Comparison (Updated March 2026)

The chart highlights the Precision Threshold for mobile and fixed broadband internet speeds, updated quarterly.

Digital Nomad Cost of Living Index

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

Ulan Ude wins on cost – living expenses run 146% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ulan Ude the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 477% 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: $501 in Ulan Ude versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Dining out is cheaper in Ulan Ude – a meal for two runs $47.00 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

A monthly transit pass in Ulan Ude runs roughly 75% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,098 in Ulan Ude versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ulan Ude but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ulan Ude 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 Ulan Ude gentler on the wallet – expenses run 146% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.