Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Shiraz

For one person, living is cheaper in Shiraz: $551 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $25,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,704
/mo nomad
Shiraz
🇮🇷 Iran
$551
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $551 in Shiraz.

  • Austin, TX $2,704
  • Shiraz $551

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $810 in Shiraz.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Shiraz $810

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,069 in Shiraz.

  • Austin, TX $5,562
  • Shiraz $1,069

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 391% more expensive than in Shiraz, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Shiraz is 59% below.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.22 $20.22
$4.62 $4.62
337.66%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$85.0 $85.0
$13.16 $13.16
546.12%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.35 $12.35
$3.92 $3.92
215.05%
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter draught)
-
$1.03 $1.03
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.79 $1.79
-
Cappuccino
$5.47 $5.47
$1.17 $1.17
367.52%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.82 $3.82
$0.66 $0.66
478.79%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
-
-
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.06 $8.06
-
-
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$8.99 $8.99
-
-
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.13 $1.13
$0.67 $0.67
68.66%
White Bread (500g)
$3.78 $3.78
$0.41 $0.41
821.95%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.25 $3.25
$1.90 $1.90
71.05%
Eggs
$4.14 $4.14
$1.22 $1.22
239.34%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.08 $13.08
$2.35 $2.35
456.60%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.31 $14.31
$2.95 $2.95
385.08%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$15.96 $15.96
$9.81 $9.81
62.69%
Apples (1kg)
$4.38 $4.38
$1.12 $1.12
291.07%
Banana (1kg)
$1.45 $1.45
$1.54 $1.54
-5.84%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.54 $4.54
$0.89 $0.89
410.11%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.19 $4.19
$0.55 $0.55
661.82%
Potato (1kg)
$2.63 $2.63
$0.55 $0.55
378.18%
Onion (1kg)
$2.36 $2.36
$0.55 $0.55
329.09%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.76 $1.76
$0.51 $0.51
245.10%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.16 $2.16
$0.17 $0.17
1170.59%
Bottle of Non-Alcoholic Wine (Mid-Range)
-
$0.87 $0.87
-
Local Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
-
$0.59 $0.59
-
Imported Non-Alcoholic Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
-
$1.71 $1.71
-
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.81 $9.81
$3.04 $3.04
222.70%
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
-
-
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$0.11 $0.11
1254.55%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$40.51 $40.51
$3.09 $3.09
1211.00%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.67 $2.67
$0.38 $0.38
602.63%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.58 $1.58
$0.21 $0.21
652.38%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.29 $35.29
$3.44 $3.44
925.87%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.99 $0.99
-
-
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$35.8K $35.8K
$66.0K $66.0K
-45.73%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.2K $27.2K
$53.1K $53.1K
-48.84%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$219 $219
$23.64 $23.64
827.54%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$58.0 $58.0
$2.06 $2.06
2715.05%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$68.4 $68.4
$17.07 $17.07
300.47%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.9 $57.9
$18.96 $18.96
205.38%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$14.82 $14.82
$13.51 $13.51
9.70%
Cinema Ticket
$14.13 $14.13
$1.98 $1.98
613.64%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,509 $1,509
$104 $104
1351.34%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$2,421 $2,421
786.20%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$51.7 $51.7
$22.81 $22.81
126.48%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$44.05 $44.05
$18.49 $18.49
138.24%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$85.1 $85.1
$95.2 $95.2
-10.61%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 $105
$56.0 $56.0
87.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,932 $1,932
$291 $291
564.86%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,272 $1,272
$217 $217
487.35%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,670 $3,670
$537 $537
583.49%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,525 $2,525
$321 $321
686.53%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,617 $7,617
$1,164 $1,164
554.66%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,199 $3,199
$503 $503
536.48%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Shiraz
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,105 $5,105
$243 $243
2004.19%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
24.3
-72.06%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Shiraz: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Shiraz
$217 83% $1.1K
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$403
Shiraz
$103 74.5% $300
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$348
Shiraz
$65 * 81.2% $283
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$346
Shiraz
$43 87.6% $303
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$129
Shiraz
$87 32.7% $42
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Shiraz
$23 73.4% $63
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$57
Shiraz
$5 91.3% $52

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $291 in Shiraz. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 2004% 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 $13.00 in Shiraz for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $103 per month, with Shiraz cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇮🇷 Shiraz
🕒 Local time
01:27 1:27 AM
09:57 9:57 AM
8 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
1,565,572
💱 Currency
USD USD
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Shiraz 12,650 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Shiraz

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 Shiraz: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Shiraz?
Shiraz wins on cost – living expenses run 391% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Shiraz the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Shiraz?
Average pay runs 2004% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Shiraz?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $291 in Shiraz. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Shiraz?
All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $551 in Shiraz – a 391% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Shiraz?
A monthly transit pass in Shiraz runs roughly 1211% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $1,500/month in Austin, TX or in Shiraz?
At $551 in Shiraz versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Shiraz but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Shiraz the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Shiraz?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Shiraz?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Shiraz are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Shiraz gentler on the wallet – expenses run 391% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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