Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Al-'amarah

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-'amarah: $662 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
32

Cost of Living Index in Al-'amarah
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Al-'amarah Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Al-'amarah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$662

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Al-'amarah

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Al-'amarah actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $662 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Al-'amarah $662

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,031 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Al-'amarah $1,031

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,400 in Al-'amarah, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Al-'amarah $1,400

Austin, TX costs about 302% more than Al-'amarah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, TX sits 97% above the global median, while Al-'amarah is 51% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.93 IQD 5,936

428.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$21.93 IQD 33.1K

285.73%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.22 IQD 9,391

98.07%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.08 IQD 3,146

170.67%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.33 IQD 502

1027.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.20 IQD 304

1150.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.22 IQD 4,863

150.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.90 IQD 4,384

210.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.99 IQD 1,501

13.13%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.67 IQD 1,006

459.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.36 IQD 2,061

139.71%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.57 IQD 2,368

165.61%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$3.72 IQD 5,616

246.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.21 IQD 6,361

236.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.50 IQD 17.4K

41.04%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.93 IQD 1,405

365.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.93 IQD 1,411

56.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.90 IQD 1,362

401.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.61 IQD 921

611.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.56 IQD 846

360.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.61 IQD 924

285.25%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.52 IQD 782

242.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.51 IQD 770

335.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.83 IQD 2,765

439.89%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.08 IQD 18.3K

24.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.60 IQD 2,412

82.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.78 IQD 2,683

94.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.45 IQD 680

231.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$19.17 IQD 29.0K

117.63%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.81 IQD 2,734

50.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.13 IQD 1,712

46.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$5.76 IQD 8,707

512.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.54 IQD 813

75.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$16.4K IQD 24.8M

119.32%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.1K IQD 22.8M

79.14%

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

$229 $229

$96.2 IQD 145.4K

138.01%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$13.00 IQD 19.7K

356.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.03 IQD 36.3K

190.93%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.10 IQD 56.1K

54.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.87 IQD 13.4K

60.99%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$153 IQD 231.6K

882.43%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,868 IQD 4.3M

648.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

130.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$21.34 IQD 32.2K

105.34%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$51.9 IQD 78.4K

63.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$34.23 IQD 51.7K

200.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$178 IQD 268.4K

973.85%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$129 IQD 195.4K

885.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$371 IQD 561.0K

886.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$298 IQD 449.9K

752.40%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$717 IQD 1.1M

961.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$573 IQD 865.9K

450.96%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$435 IQD 657.8K

1076.30%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.33

103.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Al-'amarah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Al-'amarah

$129 19.5% 89.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Al-'amarah

$159 24% 60.8% $246

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Al-'amarah

$133 20.1% 62.8% $225

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Al-'amarah

$99 15% 72% $255

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Al-'amarah

$59 8.9% 54.2% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Al-'amarah

$55 8.3% 36.1% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Al-'amarah

$28 4.3% 51.5% $30

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $178 in Al-'amarah. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 1076% higher in Austin, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $22.00 in Al-'amarah. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $159 – making Al-'amarah the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 Al-'amarah

🕒 Local time

15:01 3:01 PM

23:01 11:01 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

511,542

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

IQD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Al-'amarah 12,180 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Al-'amarah

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

Austin, TX vs Al-'amarah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 302%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $993 in Al-'amarah. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-'amarah, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Groceries cost about 155% more in Austin, TX, though it depends on what you buy. Local produce may be comparable; imported and premium items show the biggest price gap.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX and $22.00 in Al-'amarah. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Al-'amarah, where all-in costs run around $662, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Al-'amarah it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-'amarah – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Al-'amarah. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.