Last update: Oct 2026

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

For one person, living is cheaper in Al-Ula: $1,184 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $17,700 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
57

Cost of Living Index in Al-Ula
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Al-Ula Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Al-Ula

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,184

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,184 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Austin, TX $2,663
Al-Ula $1,184

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,757 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Austin, TX $4,133
Al-Ula $1,757

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $2,330 in Al-Ula, rent included.

Austin, TX $5,603
Al-Ula $2,330

Austin, TX costs about 125% more than Al-Ula, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Austin, TX sits 97% above the global median, while Al-Ula is 12% below – they fall on opposite sides of the world average.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$6.11 SAR 22.91

239.93%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$36.80 SAR 138

129.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.96 SAR 29.87

54.77%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$1.89 SAR 7.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 SAR 8.62

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.17 SAR 11.89

77.60%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.86 SAR 3.24

332.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.26 SAR 0.98

861.54%

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

$1.74 SAR 6.52

-35.63%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.27 SAR 4.75

195.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.30 SAR 8.62

41.74%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$2.32 SAR 8.72

79.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$7.39 SAR 27.75

74.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.07 SAR 30.27

75.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$12.67 SAR 47.54

28.02%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.25 SAR 8.45

92.44%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.76 SAR 6.60

-17.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.58 SAR 5.94

185.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.57 SAR 5.89

176.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.23 SAR 4.61

109.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.28 SAR 4.79

83.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.22 SAR 4.58

45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.54 SAR 2.02

311.11%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$2.86 SAR 10.71

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.11 SAR 7.91

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.74 SAR 25.28

46.59%

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

$1.09 SAR 4.08

36.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$36.77 SAR 138

13.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.61 SAR 9.80

4.60%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.85 SAR 6.95

-10.27%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$13.14 SAR 49.29

168.65%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.65 SAR 2.44

46.15%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$44.0K SAR 165.2K

-18.12%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$21.3K SAR 79.9K

27.10%

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

$229 $229

$106 SAR 397

116.19%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$33.21 SAR 125

78.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$65.8 SAR 247

6.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$82.4 SAR 309

-30.53%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.33 SAR 50.0

7.13%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$425 SAR 1,596

254.05%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$8,102 SAR 30.4K

164.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$42.74 SAR 160

23.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$55.4 SAR 208

-20.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$96.2 SAR 361

-11.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$87.6 SAR 329

17.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$576 SAR 2,162

231.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$372 SAR 1,397

242.21%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$832 SAR 3,121

340.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$572 SAR 2,147

343.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,323 SAR 8,718

227.70%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,382 SAR 5,187

128.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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-Ula: 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-Ula

$372 31.5% 70.8% $902

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Al-Ula

$203 17.1% 49.9% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Al-Ula

$205 17.3% 42.8% $153

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Al-Ula

$115 9.7% 67.4% $239

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Al-Ula

$127 10.7% 0.9% $1.1

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Al-Ula

$109 9.2% 27.1% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Al-Ula

$53 4.5% 9.7% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $576 in Al-Ula. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $85.0 in Austin, TX versus $37.00 in Al-Ula. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $203 – making Al-Ula the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇦 Al-Ula

🕒 Local time

07:26 7:26 AM

15:26 3:26 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

32,413

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 19, 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-Ula 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Al-Ula

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-Ula: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX, $1,184 in Al-Ula – roughly 125% 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 $1,776 in Al-Ula. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Al-Ula, 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 $425 in Al-Ula. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

Groceries cost about 100% 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-Ula, where all-in costs run around $1,184, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Al-Ula it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Al-Ula – 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-Ula. 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.