Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Al-mawsil

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-mawsil: $601 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,700 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
29

Cost of Living Index in Al-mawsil
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Al-mawsil Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Al-mawsil

🇮🇶 Iraq

$601

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $601 in Al-mawsil.

Austin, TX $2,663
Al-mawsil $601

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $917 in Al-mawsil.

Austin, TX $4,133
Al-mawsil $917

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,233 in Al-mawsil.

Austin, TX $5,603
Al-mawsil $1,233

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 343% more expensive than in Al-mawsil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Al-mawsil is 55% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.46 IQD 9,767

221.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$10.37 IQD 15.7K

715.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.03 IQD 7,597

144.93%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$0.68 IQD 1,024

727.94%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.34 IQD 519

994.12%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.14 IQD 219

1685.71%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$0.85 IQD 1,286

847.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.31 IQD 1,977

587.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.63 IQD 950

77.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.64 IQD 964

485.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$0.54 IQD 816

503.70%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$0.94 IQD 1,424

343.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.10 IQD 10.7K

81.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.00 IQD 4,536

372.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$7.80 IQD 11.8K

107.95%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.64 IQD 970

576.56%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.67 IQD 1,013

117.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.51 IQD 769

784.31%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.22 IQD 332

1872.73%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.27 IQD 408

855.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.32 IQD 483

634.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.61 IQD 928

191.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.51 IQD 773

335.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.62 IQD 2,448

509.88%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.82 IQD 16.3K

39.37%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.41 IQD 2,124

107.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.88 IQD 2,838

84.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.40 IQD 600

272.50%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$19.83 IQD 30.0K

110.39%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.61 IQD 2,438

69.57%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.61 IQD 2,430

3.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.86 IQD 5,830

814.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.29 IQD 432

227.59%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$13.2K IQD 19.9M

173.28%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$15.0K IQD 22.7M

80.26%

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

$229 $229

$92.5 IQD 139.8K

147.58%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.26 IQD 18.5K

384.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$23.36 IQD 35.3K

199.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.85 IQD 55.7K

55.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$6.72 IQD 10.2K

143.01%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$6.74 IQD 10.2K

111.87%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$307 IQD 463.9K

390.54%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$588 IQD 888.5K

3548.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$16.19 IQD 24.5K

226.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$13.44 IQD 20.3K

226.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$59.1 IQD 89.3K

43.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$15.72 IQD 23.8K

555.28%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$176 IQD 265.7K

984.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$130 IQD 196.5K

879.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$381 IQD 575.7K

861.81%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$305 IQD 461.0K

732.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$745 IQD 1.1M

922.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$587 IQD 887.1K

437.77%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$537 IQD 811.7K

853.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.53

168.38%

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-mawsil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Al-mawsil

$130 21.6% 89.8% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Al-mawsil

$131 21.8% 67.6% $273

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Al-mawsil

$128 21.3% 64.2% $230

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Al-mawsil

$84 13.9% 76.3% $270

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Al-mawsil

$47 7.8% 63.3% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Al-mawsil

$50 8.4% 41.3% $35

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Al-mawsil

$31 5.2% 47% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 853% 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $10.00 in Al-mawsil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $131 per month, with Al-mawsil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 Al-mawsil

🕒 Local time

11:36 11:36 AM

19:36 7:36 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,683,000

💱 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-mawsil 11,560 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Al-mawsil

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-mawsil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-mawsil is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 343% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

Average pay runs 853% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $176 in Al-mawsil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $307 in Al-mawsil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Supermarket bills run roughly 209% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

At $601 in Al-mawsil versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-mawsil but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Al-mawsil 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 Al-mawsil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 343% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.