Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Rumaitha: $650 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $24,200 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-Rumaitha
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Al-Rumaitha Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Al-Rumaitha

🇮🇶 Iraq

$650

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha.

Austin, TX $2,663
Al-Rumaitha $650

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,027 in Al-Rumaitha.

Austin, TX $4,133
Al-Rumaitha $1,027

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,403 in Al-Rumaitha.

Austin, TX $5,603
Al-Rumaitha $1,403

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 310% more expensive than in Al-Rumaitha, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Al-Rumaitha is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.62 IQD 5,465

473.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$23.11 IQD 34.9K

266.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.08 IQD 10.7K

74.01%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.33 IQD 3,523

141.63%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.31 IQD 471

1100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.19 IQD 286

1215.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$2.91 IQD 4,398

176.63%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$2.60 IQD 3,936

246.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.86 IQD 1,298

30.23%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.78 IQD 1,185

380.77%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.37 IQD 2,063

137.96%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.58 IQD 2,392

163.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$4.09 IQD 6,174

215.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.61 IQD 5,449

292.24%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.06 IQD 18.2K

34.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.92 IQD 1,384

370.65%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.95 IQD 1,428

53.68%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.84 IQD 1,268

436.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.66 IQD 1,002

557.58%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.56 IQD 844

360.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.56 IQD 849

319.64%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.56 IQD 839

217.86%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.47 IQD 717

372.34%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.63 IQD 2,468

506.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.70 IQD 16.2K

40.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.40 IQD 2,120

108.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.78 IQD 2,691

94.38%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.42 IQD 639

254.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$22.08 IQD 33.4K

88.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.80 IQD 2,724

51.67%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.34 IQD 2,031

23.88%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.81 IQD 7,268

633.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.51 IQD 766

86.27%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$14.9K IQD 22.6M

141.27%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$16.9K IQD 25.5M

60.41%

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

$229 $229

$88.6 IQD 133.9K

158.45%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$12.11 IQD 18.3K

390.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.88 IQD 37.6K

180.99%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$37.29 IQD 56.3K

53.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$3.39 IQD 5,120

381.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.20 IQD 13.9K

55.22%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$128 IQD 193.8K

1074.17%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,684 IQD 4.1M

699.46%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$20.77 IQD 31.4K

154.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$21.12 IQD 31.9K

107.48%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$46.80 IQD 70.7K

81.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$30.79 IQD 46.5K

234.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$178 IQD 269.0K

971.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$128 IQD 194.1K

891.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$373 IQD 564.1K

881.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$308 IQD 465.9K

723.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$629 IQD 951.1K

1109.53%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$532 IQD 803.7K

493.59%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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-Rumaitha: 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-Rumaitha

$128 19.8% 89.9% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$154 23.7% 61.9% $250

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Al-Rumaitha

$126 19.3% 64.9% $233

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Al-Rumaitha

$100 15.4% 71.8% $254

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Al-Rumaitha

$54 8.3% 58% $74

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$56 8.6% 35.1% $30

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Al-Rumaitha

$32 5% 45% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $23.00 in Al-Rumaitha for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $154 per month, with Al-Rumaitha cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 Al-Rumaitha

🕒 Local time

11:32 11:32 AM

19:32 7:32 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

115,431

💱 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-Rumaitha 12,110 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Al-Rumaitha

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-Rumaitha: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Al-Rumaitha is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 310% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $975 in Al-Rumaitha to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $178 in Al-Rumaitha. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $650 in Al-Rumaitha – a 310% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Al-Rumaitha runs roughly 89% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $650 in Al-Rumaitha versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Al-Rumaitha but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Al-Rumaitha 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-Rumaitha gentler on the wallet – expenses run 310% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.