Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ar-rustaq

For one person, living is cheaper in Ar-rustaq: $958 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.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Ar-rustaq
🇴🇲 Oman
$958
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ar-rustaq

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

A single person spends $2,663 per month in Austin, TX vs $958 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Ar-rustaq $958

A couple spends around $4,133 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,438 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Ar-rustaq $1,438

A family of three spends $5,603 per month in Austin, TX vs $1,918 in Ar-rustaq, rent included.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Ar-rustaq $1,918

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

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

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$5.31 OMR 2.04
291.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$39.09 OMR 15.05
116.40%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$8.01 OMR 3.08
53.81%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$5.10 OMR 1.96
10.39%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.86 OMR 0.33
332.56%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.29 OMR 0.11
762.07%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$13.07 OMR 5.03
-38.41%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$12.84 OMR 4.94
-29.83%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.29 OMR 0.88
-51.09%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.19 OMR 0.46
215.13%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.84 OMR 0.71
77.17%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.06 OMR 1.18
36.27%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$7.51 OMR 2.89
71.77%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$7.11 OMR 2.74
99.16%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$10.73 OMR 4.13
51.16%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.67 OMR 1.41
17.98%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.02 OMR 0.78
-27.72%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.31 OMR 0.89
95.24%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$1.32 OMR 0.51
228.79%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.17 OMR 0.45
120.51%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.28 OMR 0.49
83.59%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.84 OMR 0.71
-3.26%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.71 OMR 0.27
212.68%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$6.58 OMR 2.53
50.15%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$15.57 OMR 5.99
-3.15%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$5.81 OMR 2.24
-49.74%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$10.12 OMR 3.89
-65.81%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
-
-
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.17 OMR 1.22
-13.88%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.56 OMR 0.99
-35.16%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$7.96 OMR 3.06
343.47%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.63 OMR 0.24
50.79%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$25.8K OMR 9,938
39.66%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$23.0K OMR 8,854
17.72%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$181 OMR 69.8
26.28%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$28.68 OMR 11.04
107.08%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$70.4 OMR 27.10
-0.70%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
-
-
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.32 OMR 3.97
38.37%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$293 OMR 113
414.07%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$10.7K OMR 4,101
101.41%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$57.4 OMR 22.09
-7.95%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$43.10 OMR 16.59
1.67%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$88.8 OMR 34.20
-4.58%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$86.7 OMR 33.39
18.78%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
-
-
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
-
-
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
-
-
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Ar-rustaq
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$4,439 OMR 1,709
15.36%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.25
29.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ar-rustaq: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Ar-rustaq
- * 100%
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Ar-rustaq
$293 27.5% $111
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Ar-rustaq
$280 21.7% $78
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Ar-rustaq
$223 36.9% $131
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Ar-rustaq
$124 2.9% $3.8
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Ar-rustaq
$21 * 75.9% $65
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Ar-rustaq
$16 * 72.8% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

Salaries run about 15% 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 $39.00 in Ar-rustaq. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $405 vs $293 – making Ar-rustaq the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇴🇲 Ar-rustaq
🕒 Local time
11:59 11:59 AM
20:59 8:59 PM
9 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
120,000
💱 Currency
Omani Rial OMR ر.ع.
Exchange rates and currency converter

OMR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

Omani Rial exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.385 OMR (1 OMR = 2.6 USD). 1 EUR = 0.433 OMR (1 OMR = 2.31 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Ar-rustaq 13,490 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Ar-rustaq

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 Ar-rustaq: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Is Ar-rustaq cheaper than Austin, TX?
Yes – Austin, TX is pricier by about 178%, and outside of rent the gap shows up most in eating out.
What income do you need for each city?
For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,995 per month in Austin, TX and $1,437 in Ar-rustaq. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.
What are total monthly expenses in Austin, TX and in Ar-rustaq?
Monthly expenses with rent come to $2,663 in Austin, TX and $958 in Ar-rustaq. That's a gap of about 178%.
Which city has cheaper kindergarten?
Kindergarten costs $1,506 per month in Austin, TX and $293 in Ar-rustaq. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.
Is $1,500 a realistic budget for living in Austin, TX or in Ar-rustaq?
A $1,500 monthly budget goes further in Ar-rustaq, where all-in costs run around $958, than in Austin, TX at $2,663. In Ar-rustaq it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.
Is Austin, TX or Ar-rustaq more family-friendly?
Families tend to lean toward Ar-rustaq – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.
Which city is safer, Austin, TX or Ar-rustaq?
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.
Which city is the better choice to relocate to?
If budget matters most, go with Ar-rustaq. 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.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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