Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Babol

For one person, living is cheaper in Babol: $477 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,200 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
23

Cost of Living Index in Babol
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Babol Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Babol

🇮🇷 Iran

$477

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $477 in Babol.

Austin, TX $2,663
Babol $477

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $737 in Babol.

Austin, TX $4,133
Babol $737

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $996 in Babol.

Austin, TX $5,603
Babol $996

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 458% more expensive than in Babol, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Babol is 65% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.09 $3.09

572.17%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$10.50 $10.50

705.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$3.95 $3.95

211.90%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.51 $0.51

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.69 $0.69

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.07 $1.07

426.17%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.29 $0.29

1182.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.67 $1.67

49.70%

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

$0.67 $0.67

67.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.18 $0.18

1983.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.45 $2.45

33.06%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.17 $1.17

256.41%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$1.94 $1.94

564.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.36 $3.36

321.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$9.53 $9.53

70.20%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.17 $1.17

270.09%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.44 $1.44

1.39%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.48 $0.48

839.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.48 $0.48

804.17%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.29 $0.29

789.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.29 $0.29

710.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.31 $0.31

474.19%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.13 $0.13

1607.69%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.83 $0.83

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.56 $0.56

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 $2.19

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.27 $2.27

335.24%

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

$0.13 $0.13

1046.15%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$9.76 $9.76

327.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$0.48 $0.48

468.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.31 $0.31

435.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$3.03 $3.03

1065.02%

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

$49.7K $49.7K

-27.50%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.1K $30.1K

-9.98%

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

$229 $229

$12.98 $12.98

1664.18%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$1.63 $1.63

3543.56%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$3.73 $3.73

1774.26%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$18.30 $18.30

212.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.24 $13.24

23.34%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$1.96 $1.96

628.57%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$48.30 $48.30

3017.74%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,428 $2,428

783.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$19.88 $19.88

165.64%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$15.17 $15.17

188.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$52.9 $52.9

60.25%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$39.50 $39.50

160.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$288 $288

561.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$213 $213

499.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$783 $783

367.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$361 $361

602.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$908 $908

738.27%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$597 $597

428.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$127 $127

3934.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

23.75

-71.41%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Babol: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Babol

$213 44.6% 83.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Babol

$97 20.4% 76% $307

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Babol

$18 3.8% 94.9% $340

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Babol

$57 12% 83.9% $297

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Babol

$57 12% 55.2% $71

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Babol

$22 4.7% 74.1% $64

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Babol

$12 2.6% 79% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $288 in Babol. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 3935% more on average. The extra income cushions the higher costs, though housing choices and lifestyle decide how much of the gap is truly closed.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $10.00 in Babol for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $97.0 per month, with Babol cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇷 Babol

🕒 Local time

07:13 7:13 AM

15:43 3:43 PM

8 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

220,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Babol 11,970 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Babol

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 Babol: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Babol wins on cost – living expenses run 458% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Babol the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 3935% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $288 in Babol. 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 $477 in Babol – a 458% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Babol runs roughly 327% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $477 in Babol versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Babol but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Babol 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 Babol gentler on the wallet – expenses run 458% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.