Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mardan

For one person, living is cheaper in Mardan: $492 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,100 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
24

Cost of Living Index in Mardan
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Mardan Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mardan

🇵🇰 Pakistan

$492

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $492 in Mardan.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mardan $492

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $768 in Mardan.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mardan $768

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,045 in Mardan.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mardan $1,045

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 442% more expensive than in Mardan, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Mardan is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.54 PKR 980

486.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$23.75 PKR 6,572

256.17%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.44 PKR 1,506

126.47%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$3.70 PKR 1,023

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.81 PKR 1,885

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.72 PKR 753

106.99%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.32 PKR 89.6

1062.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.23 PKR 63.8

986.96%

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

$0.91 PKR 252

23.08%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.72 PKR 199

420.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.28 PKR 354

154.69%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.16 PKR 320

259.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$2.82 PKR 781

357.45%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.14 PKR 870

350.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$3.89 PKR 1,076

316.97%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.93 PKR 258

365.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.71 PKR 196

105.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.07 PKR 296

321.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.38 PKR 104

1042.11%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.27 PKR 73.8

855.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.36 PKR 99.1

552.78%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.28 PKR 77.1

535.71%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.37 PKR 103

500.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$1.79 PKR 495

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 PKR 332

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.35 PKR 651

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.83 PKR 507

439.89%

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

$0.16 PKR 43.24

831.25%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$10.19 PKR 2,821

309.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.25 PKR 346

118.40%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$0.69 PKR 192

140.58%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$1.58 PKR 436

2134.18%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.06 PKR 292

-10.38%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$21.8K PKR 6.0M

65.63%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.6K PKR 6.8M

10.01%

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

$229 $229

$101 PKR 27.9K

127.51%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$5.88 PKR 1,628

910.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$16.89 PKR 4,674

313.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$16.54 PKR 4,578

246.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$7.15 PKR 1,978

128.39%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$4.42 PKR 1,224

223.08%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$75.8 PKR 21.0K

1887.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$1,028 PKR 284.5K

1987.08%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$25.76 PKR 7,131

105.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$34.46 PKR 9,537

27.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$94.6 PKR 26.2K

-10.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$40.80 PKR 11.3K

152.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$127 PKR 35.0K

1407.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$75.6 PKR 20.9K

1584.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$253 PKR 69.9K

1350.76%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$149 PKR 41.3K

1599.43%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$830 PKR 229.7K

817.51%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$443 PKR 122.7K

612.19%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

13.08

-48.09%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mardan: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mardan

$76 15.4% 94.1% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mardan

$84 17.1% 79.2% $321

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mardan

$123 25.1% 65.6% $235

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mardan

$80 16.2% 77.5% $274

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mardan

$88 17.9% 31.2% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mardan

$25 5.2% 70.4% $60

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mardan

$16 3.2% 73.5% $43

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $127 in Mardan. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $24.00 in Mardan for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $84.0 per month, with Mardan cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇵🇰 Mardan

🕒 Local time

21:47 9:47 PM

07:47 7:47 AM

10 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

358,604

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Pakistani Rupee PKR ₨

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD

1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

PKR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇵🇰 Pakistani Rupee (₨)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Pakistani Rupee exchange rates as of October 20, 2026: 1 USD = 277 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.61 USD). 1 EUR = 311 PKR (1,000 PKR = 3.21 EUR).

PKR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mardan 12,770 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mardan

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 Mardan: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mardan wins on cost – living expenses run 442% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mardan the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $737 in Mardan 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 $127 in Mardan. 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 $492 in Mardan – a 442% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mardan runs roughly 309% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $492 in Mardan versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Mardan but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mardan 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 Mardan gentler on the wallet – expenses run 442% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.