Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Riyadh

For one person, living is cheaper in Riyadh: $1,768 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,200 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
85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,768

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,768 in Riyadh.

Austin, TX $2,704
Riyadh $1,768

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,557 in Riyadh.

Austin, TX $4,133
Riyadh $2,557

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,345 in Riyadh.

Austin, TX $5,562
Riyadh $3,345

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 53% more expensive than in Riyadh, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Riyadh 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$8.09 SAR 30.36

149.94%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$66.5 SAR 250

27.94%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$8.11 SAR 30.47

52.28%

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.15 SAR 8.09

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.98 SAR 11.19

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.34 SAR 16.31

26.04%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.86 SAR 3.24

344.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.30 SAR 1.12

733.33%

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

$1.77 SAR 6.63

-36.16%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.32 SAR 4.97

186.36%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.40 SAR 9.03

35.42%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.06 SAR 11.48

35.29%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.63 SAR 39.91

23.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.60 SAR 36.05

49.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.98 SAR 56.3

6.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.80 SAR 10.51

56.43%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.98 SAR 7.45

-26.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.51 SAR 9.43

80.88%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.80 SAR 6.75

132.78%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.18 SAR 4.45

122.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.34 SAR 5.01

76.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.79 SAR 6.70

-1.68%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.54 SAR 2.03

300.00%

Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)

$8.11 SAR 30.44

Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.78 SAR 6.68

Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.41 SAR 9.04

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$7.53 SAR 28.26

30.28%

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

$1.05 SAR 3.96

41.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$37.18 SAR 140

8.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.29 SAR 12.35

-18.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.91 SAR 7.19

-17.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$13.43 SAR 50.5

162.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.65 SAR 2.42

52.31%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.6K SAR 130.0K

3.39%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

19.00%

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

$219 $219

$106 SAR 397

107.52%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$29.10 SAR 109

99.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$72.7 SAR 273

-6.02%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$91.4 SAR 343

-36.68%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$56.4 SAR 212

-73.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$13.20 SAR 49.58

7.05%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$532 SAR 1,999

183.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

109.79%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$57.4 SAR 215

-9.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$54.4 SAR 204

-19.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$105 SAR 393

-18.61%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$106 SAR 397

-0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,211 SAR 4,547

59.58%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$834 SAR 3,132

52.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,223 SAR 8,346

65.13%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,241 SAR 4,658

103.54%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,011 SAR 11.3K

152.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$1,937 SAR 7,274

65.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,037 SAR 7,648

150.63%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.54

22.56%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Riyadh: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Riyadh

$834 47.7% 34.5% $438

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Riyadh

$242 13.9% 39.8% $160

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Riyadh

$146 8.4% 58.1% $202

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Riyadh

$208 11.9% 40% $138

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Riyadh

$145 8.3% 12.6% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Riyadh

$118 6.8% 36.8% $32

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Riyadh

$54 3.1% 4.8% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,211 in Riyadh. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 151% 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 $66.0 in Riyadh for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $242 per month, with Riyadh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🕒 Local time

23:46 11:46 PM

07:46 7:46 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,188,286 Capital

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

SAR, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Saudi Riyal exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 3.75 SAR (1 SAR = 0.266 USD). 1 EUR = 4.21 SAR (1 SAR = 0.237 EUR).

SAR to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Riyadh 12,830 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Riyadh

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 Riyadh: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Riyadh wins on cost – living expenses run 53% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Riyadh the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 151% 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 $1,211 in Riyadh. 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 $1,768 in Riyadh – a 53% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Riyadh runs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,768 in Riyadh versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Riyadh but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Riyadh the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Riyadh delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $1,768 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Riyadh hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Riyadh 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 Riyadh gentler on the wallet – expenses run 53% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.