Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $745 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇶 Iraq

$745

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $745 in Mashhad.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mashhad $745

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,114 in Mashhad.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mashhad $1,114

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,483 in Mashhad.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mashhad $1,483

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 257% more expensive than in Mashhad, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$4.17 IQD 6,301

398.08%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$29.37 IQD 44.4K

188.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$6.73 IQD 10.2K

83.06%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$2.67 IQD 4,034

110.86%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.33 IQD 492

1027.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.22 IQD 333

1036.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.26 IQD 4,921

146.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.37 IQD 5,091

167.36%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.89 IQD 1,346

25.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.68 IQD 1,035

451.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.33 IQD 2,005

145.11%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$0.82 IQD 1,242

408.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$3.36 IQD 5,071

283.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$1.97 IQD 2,981

618.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$3.09 IQD 4,668

424.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.01 IQD 1,521

328.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.92 IQD 1,385

58.70%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.91 IQD 1,373

395.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.68 IQD 1,026

538.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.56 IQD 845

360.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.60 IQD 900

291.67%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.29 IQD 432

513.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.21 IQD 322

957.14%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$0.83 IQD 1,254

1090.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

26.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.98 IQD 2,989

47.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.96 IQD 2,965

76.53%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.46 IQD 690

223.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$21.64 IQD 32.7K

92.79%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.01 IQD 3,031

35.82%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.30 IQD 1,965

27.69%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$6.39 IQD 9,659

452.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.53 IQD 805

79.25%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$16.8K IQD 25.4M

114.66%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$16.7K IQD 25.3M

61.92%

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

$229 $229

$192 IQD 289.6K

19.46%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$17.37 IQD 26.2K

241.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$36.33 IQD 54.9K

92.43%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$34.10 IQD 51.5K

67.86%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.02 IQD 15.1K

42.51%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$147 IQD 221.6K

926.85%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,968 IQD 4.5M

623.01%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$25.05 IQD 37.9K

110.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$28.34 IQD 42.8K

54.62%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$60.1 IQD 90.8K

41.05%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$41.28 IQD 62.4K

149.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$150 IQD 226.4K

1173.13%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$118 IQD 178.6K

977.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$402 IQD 606.7K

812.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$286 IQD 432.6K

786.48%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$717 IQD 1.1M

961.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$639 IQD 965.4K

394.13%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.12

64.81%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mashhad

$118 15.9% 90.7% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mashhad

$115 15.5% 71.5% $289

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mashhad

$245 32.9% 31.5% $113

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mashhad

$111 14.9% 68.7% $243

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mashhad

$70 9.3% 45.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mashhad

$54 7.3% 36.9% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mashhad

$32 4.3% 45.5% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $150 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $29.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $115 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

12:32 12:32 PM

20:32 8:32 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

IQD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇮🇶 Iraqi Dinar (ع.د)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,699 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.89 EUR).

IQD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mashhad 11,660 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mashhad

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 Mashhad: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mashhad wins on cost – living expenses run 257% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mashhad the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,118 in Mashhad 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 $150 in Mashhad. 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 $745 in Mashhad – a 257% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mashhad runs roughly 93% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $745 in Mashhad versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mashhad but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mashhad 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.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Mashhad 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 Mashhad gentler on the wallet – expenses run 257% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.