Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mosul

For one person, living is cheaper in Mosul: $566 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.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
27

Cost of Living Index in Mosul
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Mosul Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Mosul

🇮🇶 Iraq

$566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $566 in Mosul.

Austin, TX $2,663
Mosul $566

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $893 in Mosul.

Austin, TX $4,133
Mosul $893

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $1,220 in Mosul.

Austin, TX $5,603
Mosul $1,220

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 370% more expensive than in Mosul, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$3.18 IQD 4,811

553.14%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$16.47 IQD 24.9K

413.60%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$5.38 IQD 8,124

129.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.44 IQD 2,173

290.97%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$0.37 IQD 555

905.41%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.16 IQD 247

1462.50%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$1.35 IQD 2,035

496.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$1.31 IQD 1,975

587.79%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.73 IQD 1,097

53.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.67 IQD 1,013

459.70%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.13 IQD 1,708

188.50%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$1.30 IQD 1,968

220.77%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$3.17 IQD 4,791

306.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$3.64 IQD 5,493

289.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$10.17 IQD 15.4K

59.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$0.59 IQD 898

633.90%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$0.93 IQD 1,408

56.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$0.59 IQD 894

664.41%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$0.46 IQD 694

843.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$0.41 IQD 617

529.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.41 IQD 622

473.17%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.34 IQD 513

423.53%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.51 IQD 777

335.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$1.68 IQD 2,542

488.10%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.71 IQD 10.1K

124.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.41 IQD 2,137

107.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.69 IQD 2,550

104.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.32 IQD 482

365.62%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$73.3 IQD 110.8K

-43.11%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.30 IQD 1,965

110.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.35 IQD 2,035

22.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$4.07 IQD 6,149

767.32%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$0.47 IQD 716

102.13%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$14.6K IQD 22.1M

146.78%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$17.0K IQD 25.6M

59.53%

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

$229 $229

$75.2 IQD 113.7K

204.35%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$11.88 IQD 17.9K

399.92%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$24.08 IQD 36.4K

190.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$20.96 IQD 31.7K

173.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.55 IQD 34.1K

-27.58%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.49 IQD 12.8K

68.20%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$168 IQD 254.0K

795.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,769 IQD 4.2M

674.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$10.89 IQD 16.5K

384.94%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$16.77 IQD 25.3K

161.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$23.01 IQD 34.8K

268.41%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$22.21 IQD 33.6K

363.80%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$143 IQD 215.7K

1236.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$103 IQD 155.2K

1140.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$252 IQD 381.5K

1351.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$247 IQD 373.4K

927.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$722 IQD 1.1M

954.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$815 IQD 1.2M

287.34%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$410 IQD 618.8K

1150.34%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.53

168.38%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Mosul: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Mosul

$103 18.1% 91.9% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Mosul

$129 22.7% 68.2% $276

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Mosul

$111 19.6% 69% $247

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Mosul

$70 12.4% 80.1% $284

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Mosul

$33 5.8% 74.4% $95

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mosul

$38 6.7% 55.8% $48

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Mosul

$83 14.6% 40.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $143 in Mosul. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 1150% 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 $16.00 in Mosul for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $129 per month, with Mosul cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 Mosul

🕒 Local time

02:50 2:50 AM

10:50 10:50 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

1,683,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.888 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.88 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 = 1.13 USD (1 USD = 0.888 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,701 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.88 EUR).

IQD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mosul 11,560 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mosul

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 Mosul: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mosul wins on cost – living expenses run 370% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mosul the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 1150% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $143 in Mosul. 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 $566 in Mosul – a 370% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mosul runs roughly 76% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $566 in Mosul versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mosul but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mosul 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 Mosul gentler on the wallet – expenses run 370% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.