Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and As Samawah

For one person, living is cheaper in As Samawah: $644 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
31

Cost of Living Index in As Samawah
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As Samawah Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

As Samawah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$644

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in As Samawah

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $644 in As Samawah.

Austin, TX $2,663
As Samawah $644

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,050 in As Samawah.

Austin, TX $4,133
As Samawah $1,050

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,456 in As Samawah.

Austin, TX $5,603
As Samawah $1,456

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 314% more expensive than in As Samawah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, As Samawah is 52% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.36 IQD 6,593

376.38%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$29.34 IQD 44.3K

188.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.51 IQD 9,844

89.25%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.79 IQD 4,215

101.79%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.31 IQD 474

1100.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.16 IQD 237

1462.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.21 IQD 4,850

150.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.39 IQD 5,118

165.78%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.94 IQD 1,422

19.15%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.63 IQD 959

495.24%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.35 IQD 2,046

141.48%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.56 IQD 2,356

167.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$1.29 IQD 1,953

900.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$4.21 IQD 6,360

236.34%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.93 IQD 18.0K

35.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.97 IQD 1,464

346.39%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.98 IQD 1,482

48.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.83 IQD 1,251

443.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.42 IQD 640

933.33%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.51 IQD 776

405.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.55 IQD 836

327.27%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.55 IQD 826

223.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.62 IQD 939

258.06%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.69 IQD 2,552

484.62%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.42 IQD 9,703

134.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.89 IQD 2,858

54.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.90 IQD 2,875

82.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.47 IQD 709

217.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$19.97 IQD 30.2K

108.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.03 IQD 3,070

34.48%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.35 IQD 2,034

22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$2.72 IQD 4,106

1197.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.57 IQD 862

66.67%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$16.5K IQD 25.0M

118.09%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$16.7K IQD 25.2M

62.09%

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

$229 $229

$71.3 IQD 107.8K

220.98%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.32 IQD 24.7K

263.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$16.39 IQD 24.8K

326.54%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.23 IQD 54.7K

57.99%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.66 IQD 25.2K

-1.98%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$7.97 IQD 12.0K

79.17%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$50.2 IQD 75.9K

2897.35%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,315 IQD 2.0M

1531.99%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$24.56 IQD 37.1K

115.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$27.74 IQD 41.9K

57.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$58.2 IQD 88.0K

45.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$41.02 IQD 62.0K

151.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$175 IQD 264.3K

990.43%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$133 IQD 201.6K

854.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$168 IQD 254.3K

2077.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$308 IQD 465.6K

723.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$794 IQD 1.2M

858.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$623 IQD 942.0K

406.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.12

64.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for As Samawah: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

As Samawah

$133 20.7% 89.5% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

As Samawah

$143 22.2% 64.7% $262

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

As Samawah

$104 16.2% 71% $254

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

As Samawah

$113 17.5% 68.2% $241

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

As Samawah

$68 10.6% 46.7% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

As Samawah

$52 8.1% 39.2% $34

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

As Samawah

$31 4.8% 47.8% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $175 in As Samawah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $29.00 in As Samawah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $143 per month, with As Samawah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 As Samawah

🕒 Local time

16:46 4:46 PM

00:46 12:46 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

250,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 = 0.89 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 →

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Austin, TX As Samawah 12,130 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
As Samawah

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 As Samawah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

As Samawah is cheaper overall, especially in groceries, eating out, and utilities. The 314% gap adds up to real monthly savings that compound significantly over time.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $966 in As Samawah 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 $175 in As Samawah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

A monthly transit pass in As Samawah runs roughly 109% 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 $50.2 in As Samawah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

At $644 in As Samawah versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in As Samawah but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes As Samawah 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 As Samawah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 314% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.