Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and AL Kharj

For one person, living is cheaper in AL Kharj: $957 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,500 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
47

Cost of Living Index in AL Kharj
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AL Kharj Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

AL Kharj

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$957

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in AL Kharj

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 Kharj actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $957 in AL Kharj, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
AL Kharj $957

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,464 in AL Kharj, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
AL Kharj $1,464

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,971 in AL Kharj, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
AL Kharj $1,971

Austin, TX costs about 178% more than AL Kharj, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, TX sits 97% above the global median, while AL Kharj is 29% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.74 SAR 17.77

338.19%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$26.64 SAR 100.0

217.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.05 SAR 30.22

53.04%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.10 SAR 7.87

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.32 SAR 4.95

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.08 SAR 11.54

82.79%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.88 SAR 3.31

322.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.13 SAR 0.48

1823.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.44 SAR 5.39

-22.22%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.28 SAR 1.06

1239.29%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.35 SAR 8.82

38.72%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.17 SAR 8.16

92.17%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.49 SAR 39.36

22.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$5.15 SAR 19.33

174.95%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.51 SAR 50.7

20.06%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.77 SAR 6.66

144.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.30 SAR 4.88

12.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.21 SAR 4.54

272.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.36 SAR 5.11

219.12%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.03 SAR 3.88

150.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.04 SAR 3.89

125.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.52 SAR 1.94

242.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.53 SAR 2.01

318.87%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.12 SAR 7.94

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.10 SAR 4.12

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 SAR 8.94

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.55 SAR 24.56

50.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$23.40 SAR 87.8

78.29%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.69 SAR 10.10

1.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.51 SAR 1.92

225.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$13.11 SAR 49.21

169.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.64 SAR 2.40

48.44%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.6K SAR 129.8K

4.22%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

18.49%

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

$229 $229

$107 SAR 402

113.87%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$26.65 SAR 100

122.85%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$51.6 SAR 194

35.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$71.9 SAR 270

-20.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$40.47 SAR 152

-59.65%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.11 SAR 49.21

8.92%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$286 SAR 1,074

426.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$3,763 SAR 14.1K

470.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$58.7 SAR 220

-10.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$54.3 SAR 204

-19.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$47.41 SAR 178

78.80%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$80.2 SAR 301

28.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$700 SAR 2,626

172.50%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$259 SAR 972

392.00%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$596 SAR 2,236

514.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$456 SAR 1,711

456.74%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,790 SAR 10.5K

83.55%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.54

22.56%

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 Kharj: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

AL Kharj

$259 27.1% 79.7% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

AL Kharj

$175 18.3% 56.7% $230

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

AL Kharj

$185 19.4% 48.3% $173

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

AL Kharj

$103 10.8% 70.9% $251

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

AL Kharj

$108 11.3% 15.4% $20

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

AL Kharj

$98 10.3% 14.3% $12

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

AL Kharj

$29 * 3% 51.2% $30

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $700 in AL Kharj. 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 84% 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 $27.00 in AL Kharj. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $175 – making AL Kharj the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇦 AL Kharj

🕒 Local time

07:01 7:01 AM

15:01 3:01 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

425,300

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.22 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

SAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX AL Kharj 12,910 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
AL Kharj

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 Kharj: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX, $957 in AL Kharj – roughly 178% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $1,436 in AL Kharj. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Kindergarten costs $1,506 per month in Austin, TX and $286 in AL Kharj. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 131% 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 $2,000 monthly budget goes further in AL Kharj, where all-in costs run around $957, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In AL Kharj it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward AL Kharj – 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 Kharj. 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.