Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mashhad

For one person, living is cheaper in Mashhad: $485 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $26,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
23

Cost of Living Index in Mashhad
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Mashhad Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Mashhad

🇮🇷 Iran

$485

/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: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $485 in Mashhad.

Austin, TX $2,704
Mashhad $485

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $770 in Mashhad.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mashhad $770

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,055 in Mashhad.

Austin, TX $5,562
Mashhad $1,055

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 458% 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 102% above, Mashhad is 64% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$3.03 $3.03

567.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$18.20 $18.20

367.20%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$4.89 $4.89

152.56%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$0.59 $0.59

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.98 $0.98

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$1.09 $1.09

401.83%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.43 $0.43

788.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.26 $0.26

861.54%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$0.62 $0.62

82.26%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$0.19 $0.19

1889.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.03 $2.03

60.10%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.10 $1.10

276.36%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$2.16 $2.16

505.56%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$2.77 $2.77

416.61%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$10.45 $10.45

52.73%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$0.96 $0.96

356.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$0.78 $0.78

482.05%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.57 $0.57

635.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.53 $0.53

396.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.47 $0.47

402.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.48 $0.48

266.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.29 $0.29

644.83%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$0.88 $0.88

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.74 $0.74

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.97 $0.97

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$3.03 $3.03

223.76%

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

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.02 $0.02

7350.00%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$3.72 $3.72

988.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$0.19 $0.19

1305.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$0.49 $0.49

222.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$1.96 $1.96

1700.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.82 $0.82

20.73%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$60.2K $60.2K

-40.54%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$66.2K $66.2K

-58.93%

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

$219 $219

$13.58 $13.58

1514.65%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$2.67 $2.67

2071.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$27.42 $27.42

149.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$19.38 $19.38

198.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$14.98 $14.98

-1.07%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$2.03 $2.03

596.06%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$40.02 $40.02

3670.86%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$622 $622

3347.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$19.92 $19.92

159.34%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$38.69 $38.69

13.85%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$93.5 $93.5

-9.02%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$68.6 $68.6

53.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$213 $213

806.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$148 $148

759.83%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$400 $400

818.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$272 $272

828.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$1,125 $1,125

577.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$689 $689

364.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$252 $252

1921.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

21.5

-68.42%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Mashhad: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Mashhad

$148 31.1% 88.4% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Mashhad

$100 21% 75.2% $303

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Mashhad

$55 11.5% 84.3% $293

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Mashhad

$44 9.2% 87.4% $302

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Mashhad

$99 20.9% 22.8% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Mashhad

$23 4.9% 72.8% $63

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Mashhad

$6.4 1.4% 88.7% $51

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $213 in Mashhad. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1922% 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 $18.00 in Mashhad for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $100 per month, with Mashhad cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇷 Mashhad

🕒 Local time

02:23 2:23 AM

10:53 10:53 AM

8 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

3,001,184

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

USD USD

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Mashhad 12,240 km ≈ 16 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 458% 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.

Average pay runs 1922% 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.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $213 in Mashhad. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $485 in Mashhad – a 458% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mashhad runs roughly 989% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $485 in Mashhad versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,000 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 458% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.