Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jeddah

For one person, living is cheaper in Jeddah: $1,360 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $16,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Jeddah
🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia
$1,360
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,360 in Jeddah.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Jeddah $1,360

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,168 in Jeddah.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Jeddah $2,168

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $2,975 in Jeddah.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Jeddah $2,975

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 99% more expensive than in Jeddah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Jeddah 2% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$6.04 SAR 22.68
234.77%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$79.8 SAR 300
6.58%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$8.75 SAR 32.85
41.14%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$2.43 SAR 9.11
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.63 SAR 9.88
-
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$3.77 SAR 14.16
45.09%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$0.97 SAR 3.65
293.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$0.24 SAR 0.90
941.67%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$1.67 SAR 6.28
-32.34%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$1.33 SAR 4.99
184.21%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$2.37 SAR 8.89
37.13%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$2.48 SAR 9.31
66.94%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$6.36 SAR 23.89
105.66%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$8.00 SAR 30.02
78.88%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$13.31 SAR 49.98
19.91%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$2.10 SAR 7.90
108.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.77 SAR 6.63
-18.08%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$1.54 SAR 5.80
194.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$1.69 SAR 6.36
147.93%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$1.13 SAR 4.26
132.74%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$1.29 SAR 4.85
82.95%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$1.12 SAR 4.22
57.14%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.50 SAR 1.87
332.00%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$4.23 SAR 15.90
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$1.84 SAR 6.92
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$2.58 SAR 9.70
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$6.86 SAR 25.77
43.00%
Wine (Bottle)
$14.72 $14.72
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.78 $2.78
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.48 $3.48
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.89 SAR 3.35
67.42%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$55.5 SAR 208
-26.94%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$3.11 SAR 11.69
-14.15%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$1.77 SAR 6.65
-10.73%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$14.12 SAR 53.0
149.93%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
$0.59 SAR 2.21
67.80%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$47.7K SAR 179.0K
-24.88%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$21.4K SAR 80.4K
26.88%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$90.3 SAR 339
142.77%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$39.04 SAR 147
48.54%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$67.9 SAR 255
0.69%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$79.6 SAR 299
-27.29%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$38.23 SAR 144
-61.23%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$12.04 SAR 45.22
17.36%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$757 SAR 2,841
99.47%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$16.3K SAR 61.1K
31.89%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$73.8 SAR 277
-29.97%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$56.0 SAR 210
-21.38%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$101 SAR 380
-15.95%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$94.3 SAR 354
11.73%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$790 SAR 2,966
144.63%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$535 SAR 2,009
137.81%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$1,418 SAR 5,323
158.90%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$817 SAR 3,070
208.86%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$1,777 SAR 6,673
328.61%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$1,143 SAR 4,291
179.95%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Jeddah
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$1,646 SAR 6,180
210.15%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.39
25.97%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Jeddah: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Jeddah
$535 57.9% $737
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Jeddah
$201 50.2% $202
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Jeddah
$125 64.2% $223
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Jeddah
$197 42.9% $148
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Jeddah
$146 13.7% $18
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Jeddah
$104 20.4% $18
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Jeddah
$71 24.5% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $790 in Jeddah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 210% 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 $80.0 in Jeddah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $201 per month, with Jeddah cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇸🇦 Jeddah
🕒 Local time
23:59 11:59 PM
07:59 7:59 AM
8 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
3,430,697
💱 Currency
Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س
Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Jeddah 12,640 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Jeddah

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 Jeddah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Jeddah?
Jeddah wins on cost – living expenses run 99% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jeddah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Jeddah?
Average pay runs 210% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Jeddah?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $790 in Jeddah. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Jeddah?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,360 in Jeddah – a 99% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Jeddah?
A monthly transit pass in Jeddah runs roughly 37% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Jeddah?
At $1,360 in Jeddah versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jeddah but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jeddah the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Jeddah?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Jeddah?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Jeddah are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Jeddah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 99% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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