Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ardabil

For one person, living is cheaper in Ardabil: $575 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,100 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
26

Cost of Living Index in Ardabil
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Ardabil Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ardabil

🇮🇷 Iran

$575

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ardabil

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $575 in Ardabil.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ardabil $575

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $879 in Ardabil.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ardabil $879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,182 in Ardabil.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ardabil $1,182

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 363% more expensive than in Ardabil, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Ardabil is 57% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$2.84 $2.84

631.34%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$19.40 $19.40

336.03%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$4.34 $4.34

183.87%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.80 $0.80

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.94 $0.94

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.22 $1.22

361.48%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.54 $0.54

588.89%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.02 $1.02

145.10%

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

$0.69 $0.69

62.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.48 $0.48

681.25%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.06 $2.06

58.25%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.17 $1.17

256.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$4.33 $4.33

197.92%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.35 $3.35

322.69%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.52 $10.52

54.18%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.05 $1.05

312.38%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.51 $1.51

-3.31%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.96 $0.96

369.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.59 $0.59

635.59%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.50 $0.50

416.00%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.49 $0.49

379.59%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.57 $0.57

212.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.25 $0.25

788.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.86 $0.86

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.52 $0.52

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.43 $1.43

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.51 $2.51

293.63%

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

$0.16 $0.16

831.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$10.95 $10.95

281.00%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.42 $0.42

550.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.30 $0.30

453.33%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.33 $2.33

1415.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.10 $0.10

850.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$52.0K $52.0K

-30.62%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$43.2K $43.2K

-37.32%

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

$229 $229

$13.78 $13.78

1561.76%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$1.74 $1.74

3313.22%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$4.08 $4.08

1613.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$19.38 $19.38

195.36%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.55 $11.55

41.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$2.24 $2.24

537.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$94.9 $94.9

1487.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,610 $2,610

722.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$24.54 $24.54

115.20%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$27.61 $27.61

58.71%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$110 $110

-23.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$69.0 $69.0

49.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$291 $291

554.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$242 $242

425.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$677 $677

441.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$353 $353

618.91%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,108 $1,108

587.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$590 $590

435.21%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

24.3

-72.06%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ardabil: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ardabil

$242 42.2% 81% $1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ardabil

$115 20% 71.6% $290

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ardabil

$20 3.4% 94.5% $339

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ardabil

$57 9.9% 84% $297

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ardabil

$104 18.1% 18.7% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ardabil

$24 4.2% 72.2% $62

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ardabil

$14 2.4% 77% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $291 in Ardabil. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $19.00 in Ardabil for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $115 per month, with Ardabil cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇷 Ardabil

🕒 Local time

15:27 3:27 PM

23:57 11:57 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

482,632

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ardabil 11,620 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ardabil

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 Ardabil: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ardabil is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 363% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $862 in Ardabil 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 $291 in Ardabil. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in Ardabil runs roughly 281% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $94.9 in Ardabil. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $575 in Ardabil versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Ardabil but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ardabil 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Ardabil are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.

Expats usually find Ardabil gentler on the wallet – expenses run 363% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.