Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kish

For one person, living is cheaper in Kish: $561 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Kish
🇮🇷 Iran
$561
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $561 in Kish.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Kish $561

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

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Kish $879

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,197 in Kish.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Kish $1,197

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 375% more expensive than in Kish, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Kish is 58% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$5.52 $5.52
276.27%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$15.35 $15.35
451.07%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$4.39 $4.39
180.64%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$0.72 $0.72
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.23 $1.23
-
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$1.19 $1.19
373.11%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$0.50 $0.50
644.00%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.01 $1.01
147.52%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$0.65 $0.65
72.31%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$0.55 $0.55
581.82%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.04 $2.04
59.80%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$1.23 $1.23
239.02%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$4.47 $4.47
188.59%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$3.14 $3.14
350.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$9.27 $9.27
74.97%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$0.92 $0.92
370.65%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.50 $1.50
-2.67%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$0.92 $0.92
390.22%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$0.62 $0.62
600.00%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$0.52 $0.52
396.15%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$0.52 $0.52
351.92%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$0.48 $0.48
270.83%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.28 $0.28
692.86%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.78 $0.78
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.46 $0.46
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.22 $1.22
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$2.38 $2.38
315.13%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.15 $0.15
893.33%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$8.30 $8.30
402.65%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$0.38 $0.38
618.42%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$0.27 $0.27
514.81%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$2.71 $2.71
1202.58%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$0.09 $0.09
955.56%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$54.6K $54.6K
-34.00%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$49.1K $49.1K
-44.83%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$13.43 $13.43
1605.06%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$1.57 $1.57
3682.80%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$3.31 $3.31
2012.08%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$20.31 $20.31
181.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$12.66 $12.66
28.99%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$2.07 $2.07
589.86%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$113 $113
1233.10%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$2,256 $2,256
851.05%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$22.42 $22.42
135.55%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$28.14 $28.14
55.72%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$111 $111
-23.48%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$69.4 $69.4
48.54%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$286 $286
566.99%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$215 $215
491.39%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$800 $800
358.25%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$358 $358
609.37%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$1,300 $1,300
485.60%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$563 $563
461.14%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Kish
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$413 $413
1141.13%
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 Kish: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Kish
$215 83.1% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Kish
$110 72.8% $294
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Kish
$18 94.9% $340
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Kish
$78 78% $276
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Kish
$104 18.9% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Kish
$24 71.5% $61
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Kish
$11 82% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $286 in Kish. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1141% 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 $15.00 in Kish for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $110 per month, with Kish cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇮🇷 Kish
🕒 Local time
16:48 4:48 PM
01:18 1:18 AM
8 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
24,819
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Kish 13,020 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Kish

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 Kish: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Kish?
Kish wins on cost – living expenses run 375% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Kish the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Kish?
Average pay runs 1141% 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 Kish?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $286 in Kish. 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 Kish?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $561 in Kish – a 375% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Kish?
A monthly transit pass in Kish runs roughly 403% 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 Kish?
At $561 in Kish versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Kish but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Kish the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Kish?
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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Kish gentler on the wallet – expenses run 375% 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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