Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Riyadh and Austin, TX

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.

85

Cost of Living Index in Riyadh
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Riyadh Living Index
129

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

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Riyadh

🇸🇦 Saudi Arabia

$1,768

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Riyadh and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Riyadh costs roughly 35% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$8.09 SAR 30.36

$20.22 $20.22

-59.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 SAR 250

$85.0 $85.0

-21.84%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.11 SAR 30.47

$12.35 $12.35

-34.33%

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

$4.34 SAR 16.31

$5.47 $5.47

-20.66%

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

$0.86 SAR 3.24

$3.82 $3.82

-77.49%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$0.30 SAR 1.12

$2.50 $2.50

-88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

Milk (1 liter)

$1.77 SAR 6.63

$1.13 $1.13

56.64%

White Bread (500g)

$1.32 SAR 4.97

$3.78 $3.78

-65.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.40 SAR 9.03

$3.25 $3.25

-26.15%

Eggs

$3.06 SAR 11.48

$4.14 $4.14

-26.09%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.63 SAR 39.91

$13.08 $13.08

-18.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.60 SAR 36.05

$14.31 $14.31

-32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.98 SAR 56.3

$15.96 $15.96

-6.14%

Apples (1kg)

$2.80 SAR 10.51

$4.38 $4.38

-36.07%

Banana (1kg)

$1.98 SAR 7.45

$1.45 $1.45

36.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.51 SAR 9.43

$4.54 $4.54

-44.71%

Tomato (1kg)

$1.80 SAR 6.75

$4.19 $4.19

-57.04%

Potato (1kg)

$1.18 SAR 4.45

$2.63 $2.63

-55.13%

Onion (1kg)

$1.34 SAR 5.01

$2.36 $2.36

-43.22%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.79 SAR 6.70

$1.76 $1.76

1.70%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.54 SAR 2.03

$2.16 $2.16

-75.00%

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)

$7.53 SAR 28.26

$9.81 $9.81

-23.24%

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)

$1.05 SAR 3.96

$1.49 $1.49

-29.53%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$37.18 SAR 140

$40.51 $40.51

-8.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.29 SAR 12.35

$2.67 $2.67

23.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.91 SAR 7.19

$1.58 $1.58

20.89%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$13.43 SAR 50.5

$35.29 $35.29

-61.94%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.65 SAR 2.42

$0.99 $0.99

-34.34%

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

$34.6K SAR 130.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

-3.28%

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

$22.8K SAR 85.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

-15.97%

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

$106 SAR 397

$219 $219

-51.81%

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

$29.10 SAR 109

$58.0 $58.0

-49.82%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$72.7 SAR 273

$68.4 $68.4

6.41%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$91.4 SAR 343

$57.9 $57.9

57.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$56.4 SAR 212

$14.82 $14.82

280.36%

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 SAR 49.58

$14.13 $14.13

-6.58%

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

$532 SAR 1,999

$1,509 $1,509

-64.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$10.2K SAR 38.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-52.33%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$57.4 SAR 215

$51.7 $51.7

11.01%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.4 SAR 204

$44.05 $44.05

23.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 SAR 393

$85.1 $85.1

22.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 SAR 397

$105 $105

0.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,211 SAR 4,547

$1,932 $1,932

-37.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$834 SAR 3,132

$1,272 $1,272

-34.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,223 SAR 8,346

$3,670 $3,670

-39.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,241 SAR 4,658

$2,525 $2,525

-50.87%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,011 SAR 11.3K

$7,617 $7,617

-60.47%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,937 SAR 7,274

$3,199 $3,199

-39.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,037 SAR 7,648

$5,105 $5,105

-60.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

6.79

-18.41%

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

Last update for Riyadh: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Riyadh

$834 47.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 52.6% $438

Groceries & Markets

Riyadh

$242 13.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 66.2% $160

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Riyadh

$208 11.9%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 66.6% $138

Eating Out

Riyadh

$146 8.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 139% $202

Clothing & Footwear

Riyadh

$145 8.3%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 11.2% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Riyadh

$118 6.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 26.9% $32

Getting Around

Riyadh

$54 3.1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 5.1% $2.8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,211 in Riyadh and $1,932 in Austin, TX. 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: $66.0 in Riyadh vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $242 vs $403 per month, with Riyadh cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇸🇦 Riyadh

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

06:57 6:57 AM

22:57 10:57 PM

8 h behind Riyadh

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

5,188,286 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Saudi Riyal SAR ر.س

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 SAR = 0.266 USD

1 SAR = 0.237 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to SAR – Saudi Riyal Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇸🇦 Saudi Riyal (ر.س)

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).

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

USD to SAR in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

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

From you

Riyadh
Austin, TX

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

Riyadh vs Austin, TX: 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.

On paper, salaries run 151% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,211 in Riyadh versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,768 per month in Riyadh versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – 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, Riyadh and Austin, TX 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.