Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Zahlah

For one person, living is cheaper in Zahlah: $997 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $20,000 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
49

Cost of Living Index in Zahlah
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Zahlah Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Zahlah

🇱🇧 Lebanon

$997

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $997 in Zahlah.

Austin, TX $2,663
Zahlah $997

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $1,599 in Zahlah.

Austin, TX $4,133
Zahlah $1,599

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,201 in Zahlah.

Austin, TX $5,603
Zahlah $2,201

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 167% more expensive than in Zahlah, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

The two cities straddle the global median: Austin, TX is 97% above, Zahlah is 26% below.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$11.97 LBP 1.1M

73.52%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$69.5 LBP 6.2M

21.68%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.85 LBP 881.9K

25.08%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.50 LBP 402.9K

25.11%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.40 LBP 214.6K

55.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.91 LBP 81.3K

174.73%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.01 LBP 448.5K

60.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.83 LBP 432.6K

86.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.94 LBP 173.8K

-42.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.87 LBP 77.6K

331.03%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.24 LBP 200.7K

45.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.55 LBP 317.8K

17.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.24 LBP 1.0M

14.77%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.46 LBP 935.8K

35.37%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$14.81 LBP 1.3M

9.52%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.01 LBP 269.1K

43.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.65 LBP 147.4K

-11.52%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.62 LBP 144.8K

178.40%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$1.48 LBP 132.1K

193.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.26 LBP 112.9K

104.76%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.61 LBP 143.7K

45.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.16 LBP 104.2K

53.45%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.71 LBP 63.8K

212.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$2.93 LBP 262.0K

237.20%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.80 LBP 966.9K

39.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.27 LBP 113.3K

129.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.47 LBP 220.9K

40.08%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.86 LBP 435.3K

-43.83%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.24 LBP 200.1K

-25.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$22.27 LBP 2.0M

58.51%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.04 LBP 93.3K

-8.65%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$54.2K LBP 4.8B

-33.47%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$32.3K LBP 2.9B

-16.19%

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

$229 $229

$233 LBP 20.9M

-1.90%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$22.43 LBP 2.0M

164.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$37.64 LBP 3.4M

85.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$9.81 LBP 878.1K

45.57%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$675 LBP 60.4M

122.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$10.5K LBP 936.1M

105.14%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$67.0 LBP 6.0M

-21.21%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.56 LBP 4.3M

-9.76%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$138 LBP 12.3M

-38.52%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$119 LBP 10.6M

-13.18%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

-38.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Zahlah: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Zahlah

- * 0% 100%

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Zahlah

$274 27.4% 32.4% $131

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Zahlah

$294 29.4% 18.1% $65

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Zahlah

$227 22.8% 35.8% $127

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Zahlah

$167 16.8% 30.8% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Zahlah

$20 * 2% 77.1% $66

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Zahlah

$16 * 1.6% 72.7% $43

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

Cost Breakdown

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $70.0 in Zahlah for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $274 per month, with Zahlah cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇱🇧 Zahlah

🕒 Local time

12:24 12:24 PM

20:24 8:24 PM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

78,145

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Lebanese Pound LBP ل.ل

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1,000,000 LBP = 11.17 USD

1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

LBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇱🇧 Lebanese Pound (ل.ل)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Lebanese Pound exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 89,500 LBP (100,000 LBP = 1.12 USD). 1 EUR = 100,630 LBP (1,000,000 LBP = 9.94 EUR).

LBP to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Zahlah 11,380 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Zahlah

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 Zahlah: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Zahlah wins on cost – living expenses run 167% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Zahlah the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $1,496 in Zahlah to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $675 in Zahlah. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Zahlah – a meal for two runs $70.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $997 in Zahlah versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Zahlah but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Zahlah 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 Zahlah 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 Zahlah gentler on the wallet – expenses run 167% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.