Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sulaymaniyah

For one person, living is cheaper in Sulaymaniyah: $773 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $23,200 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
37

Cost of Living Index in Sulaymaniyah
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Sulaymaniyah Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Sulaymaniyah

🇮🇶 Iraq

$773

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $773 in Sulaymaniyah.

Austin, TX $2,704
Sulaymaniyah $773

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,194 in Sulaymaniyah.

Austin, TX $4,133
Sulaymaniyah $1,194

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $1,615 in Sulaymaniyah.

Austin, TX $5,562
Sulaymaniyah $1,615

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 250% more expensive than in Sulaymaniyah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 102% above, Sulaymaniyah is 42% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$5.07 IQD 7,660

298.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$22.93 IQD 34.6K

270.82%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$7.04 IQD 10.6K

75.43%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$2.88 IQD 4,344

89.93%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$0.50 IQD 759

664.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.25 IQD 378

900.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$3.93 IQD 5,943

105.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$2.27 IQD 3,427

296.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.28 IQD 1,935

-11.72%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.01 IQD 1,519

274.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.86 IQD 2,812

74.73%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$1.77 IQD 2,672

133.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$4.96 IQD 7,490

163.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$4.22 IQD 6,382

239.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.30 IQD 23.1K

4.31%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$1.28 IQD 1,935

242.19%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.28 IQD 1,937

13.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.15 IQD 1,737

294.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$0.68 IQD 1,025

516.18%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$0.56 IQD 847

369.64%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$0.73 IQD 1,096

223.29%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.73 IQD 1,101

141.10%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.50 IQD 752

332.00%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$2.28 IQD 3,444

330.26%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$11.23 IQD 17.0K

31.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.95 IQD 2,949

42.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.42 IQD 2,141

145.07%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.60 IQD 902

148.33%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$22.68 IQD 34.3K

78.62%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.22 IQD 3,361

20.27%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.34 IQD 3,531

-32.48%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$5.50 IQD 8,306

541.64%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$0.69 IQD 1,045

43.48%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$20.9K IQD 31.5M

71.53%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$18.9K IQD 28.6M

43.47%

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

$219 $219

$100 IQD 151.7K

118.46%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$11.49 IQD 17.4K

404.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$28.04 IQD 42.4K

143.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$39.70 IQD 60.0K

45.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$20.09 IQD 30.4K

-26.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$7.58 IQD 11.5K

86.41%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$173 IQD 261.0K

773.57%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$2,946 IQD 4.5M

628.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$18.91 IQD 28.6K

173.19%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$25.19 IQD 38.1K

74.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$43.24 IQD 65.3K

96.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$38.64 IQD 58.4K

172.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$215 IQD 324.7K

799.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$175 IQD 264.2K

627.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$492 IQD 743.9K

645.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$363 IQD 548.8K

595.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$786 IQD 1.2M

868.63%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$630 IQD 952.4K

407.61%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$584 IQD 882.1K

774.41%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.77

17.68%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Sulaymaniyah: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$175 22.5% 86.3% $1.1K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$188 24.2% 53.2% $214

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$123 15.9% 64.5% $225

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Sulaymaniyah

$140 18% 59.5% $206

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Sulaymaniyah

$57 7.3% 56% $72

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Sulaymaniyah

$55 7.1% 36.3% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Sulaymaniyah

$39 5% 31.6% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $215 in Sulaymaniyah. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 774% 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 $23.00 in Sulaymaniyah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $188 per month, with Sulaymaniyah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇮🇶 Sulaymaniyah

🕒 Local time

00:40 12:40 AM

08:40 8:40 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

823,199

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Iraqi Dinar IQD ع.د

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD

10,000 IQD = 5.9 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Iraqi Dinar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1,511 IQD (10,000 IQD = 6.62 USD). 1 EUR = 1,695 IQD (10,000 IQD = 5.9 EUR).

IQD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Sulaymaniyah 11,750 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sulaymaniyah

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 Sulaymaniyah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sulaymaniyah wins on cost – living expenses run 250% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sulaymaniyah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 774% 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 $215 in Sulaymaniyah. 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 $773 in Sulaymaniyah – a 250% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sulaymaniyah runs roughly 79% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $773 in Sulaymaniyah versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Sulaymaniyah but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah 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 Sulaymaniyah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 250% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.