Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Lusail

For one person, living is cheaper in Lusail: $749 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,000 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
36

Cost of Living Index in Lusail
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Lusail Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Lusail

🇶🇦 Qatar

$749

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $749 in Lusail.

Austin, TX $2,663
Lusail $749

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,273 in Lusail.

Austin, TX $4,133
Lusail $1,273

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,797 in Lusail.

Austin, TX $5,603
Lusail $1,797

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 256% more expensive than in Lusail, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Lusail is 45% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$8.35 QAR 30.39

148.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$68.5 QAR 249

23.49%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.06 QAR 29.33

52.85%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.99 QAR 29.08

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.33 QAR 33.97

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.51 QAR 20.04

2.18%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.85 QAR 3.08

337.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.26 QAR 0.94

861.54%

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

$2.15 QAR 7.81

-47.91%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.36 QAR 4.93

175.74%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.40 QAR 5.10

132.86%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.34 QAR 12.16

24.85%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.29 QAR 41.09

14.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.06 QAR 29.36

75.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.28 QAR 41.05

43.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.22 QAR 8.07

95.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.85 QAR 6.73

-21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.56 QAR 5.69

189.10%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.57 QAR 2.08

661.40%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.56 QAR 2.06

360.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.53 QAR 1.93

343.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.39 QAR 5.04

28.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.55 QAR 1.99

303.64%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$9.88 QAR 35.96

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.83 QAR 6.65

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.20 QAR 8.01

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.48 QAR 23.59

52.47%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.98 QAR 7.19

37.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.12 QAR 7.72

-21.70%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$13.46 QAR 48.99

162.26%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.54 QAR 1.97

75.93%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.4K QAR 103.5K

26.83%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.6K QAR 82.2K

19.82%

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

$229 $229

$86.8 QAR 316

163.93%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$34.93 QAR 127

70.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$86.0 QAR 313

-18.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$12.26 QAR 44.64

16.48%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$682 QAR 2,484

120.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$9,690 QAR 35.3K

121.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$61.5 QAR 224

-14.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$53.2 QAR 194

-17.68%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$98.4 QAR 358

-13.83%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$86.0 QAR 313

19.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,393 QAR 5,071

267.54%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.92

14.70%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Lusail: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Lusail

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Lusail

$208 27.8% 48.5% $196

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Lusail

$208 27.7% 42% $151

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Lusail

$161 21.6% 54.4% $192

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Lusail

$135 18% 5.2% $6.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Lusail

$25 * 3.3% 71.4% $61

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Lusail

$13 * 1.7% 78.6% $46

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

Austin, TX pays 268% 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 $69.0 in Lusail for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $208 per month, with Lusail cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇶🇦 Lusail

🕒 Local time

18:39 6:39 PM

02:39 2:39 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

198,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Qatari Riyal QAR ر.ق

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 QAR = 0.275 USD

1 QAR = 0.244 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

QAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇶🇦 Qatari Riyal (ر.ق)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Qatari Riyal exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 3.64 QAR (1 QAR = 0.275 USD). 1 EUR = 4.09 QAR (1 QAR = 0.244 EUR).

QAR to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Lusail 13,010 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Lusail

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 Lusail: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Lusail wins on cost – living expenses run 256% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Lusail the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 268% 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.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $682 in Lusail. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Lusail – a meal for two runs $69.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $749 in Lusail versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Lusail but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Lusail the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Lusail delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $749 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Lusail hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Lusail 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 Lusail gentler on the wallet – expenses run 256% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.