Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aachen and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Aachen: $1,931 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

95

Cost of Living Index in Aachen
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Aachen Living Index
129

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

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Aachen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,931

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Aachen 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 Aachen and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $1,931 per month in Aachen vs $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aachen $1,931
Austin, TX $2,704

A couple spends around $2,903 per month in Aachen vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aachen $2,903
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $3,876 per month in Aachen vs $5,562 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aachen $3,876
Austin, TX $5,562

Aachen is about 29% cheaper than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both Aachen and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Aachen by 44%, Austin, TX by 102%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.98 €14.26

$20.22 $20.22

-20.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$60.6 €54.1

$85.0 $85.0

-28.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.44 €10.21

$12.35 $12.35

-7.37%

Cappuccino

$3.83 €3.42

$5.47 $5.47

-29.98%

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

$2.73 €2.44

$3.82 $3.82

-28.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.97 €2.65

$2.50 $2.50

18.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.04 €4.50

$8.06 $8.06

-37.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.78 €5.16

$8.99 $8.99

-35.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.22 €1.08

$1.13 $1.13

7.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.88 €1.68

$3.78 $3.78

-50.26%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.56 €3.18

$3.25 $3.25

9.54%

Eggs

$3.46 €3.09

$4.14 $4.14

-16.43%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.38 €12.84

$13.08 $13.08

9.94%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 €10.22

$14.31 $14.31

-19.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$21.27 €18.98

$15.96 $15.96

33.27%

Apples (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$4.38 $4.38

-22.60%

Banana (1kg)

$2.32 €2.07

$1.45 $1.45

60.00%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.15 €1.92

$4.54 $4.54

-52.64%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.34 €2.98

$4.19 $4.19

-20.29%

Potato (1kg)

$1.49 €1.33

$2.63 $2.63

-43.35%

Onion (1kg)

$1.51 €1.34

$2.36 $2.36

-36.02%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.42 €1.26

$1.76 $1.76

-19.32%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$2.16 $2.16

-44.44%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.94 €8.87

$9.81 $9.81

1.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.76 €6.03

$14.72 $14.72

-54.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.17 €1.05

$2.78 $2.78

-57.91%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.66 €1.48

$3.48 $3.48

-52.30%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.87 €3.45

$1.49 $1.49

159.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 €62.3

$40.51 $40.51

72.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.34 €4.77

$2.67 $2.67

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.63 €2.35

$1.58 $1.58

66.46%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.76 €32.80

$35.29 $35.29

4.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.29 €2.05

$0.99 $0.99

131.31%

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

$33.3K €29.7K

$35.8K $35.8K

-6.97%

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

$39.1K €34.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

43.82%

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

$375 €335

$219 $219

71.22%

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

$17.00 €15.17

$58.0 $58.0

-70.68%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$47.36 €42.26

$68.4 $68.4

-30.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$37.39 €33.37

$57.9 $57.9

-35.42%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.99 €24.98

$14.82 $14.82

88.87%

Cinema Ticket

$15.48 €13.81

$14.13 $14.13

9.55%

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

$745 €664

$1,509 $1,509

-50.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$19.6K €17.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

-8.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$92.1 €82.2

$51.7 $51.7

78.30%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.91 €37.40

$44.05 $44.05

-4.86%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$82.9 €74.0

$85.1 $85.1

-2.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 €118

$105 $105

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$837 €747

$1,932 $1,932

-56.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$570 €508

$1,272 $1,272

-55.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,505 €1,343

$3,670 $3,670

-58.99%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,037 €925

$2,525 $2,525

-58.93%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,432 €3,955

$7,617 $7,617

-41.81%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,464 €3,091

$3,199 $3,199

8.27%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,614 €3,225

$5,105 $5,105

-29.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

6.79

-41.68%

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

Last update for Aachen: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aachen

$570 29.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 123% $703

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aachen

$440 22.7%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 21.4% $94

Groceries & Markets

Aachen

$330 17%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 22.2% $73

Eating Out

Aachen

$268 13.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 30% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Aachen

$157 8.1%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 18.1% $28

Getting Around

Aachen

$104 5.4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 45.1% $47

Sport & Entertainment

Aachen

$68 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 26.1% $18

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $837 in Aachen versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 41% higher in Austin, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Aachen versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $330 vs $403 – making Aachen the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Aachen

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:09 8:09 AM

01:09 1:09 AM

7 h behind Aachen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

241,683

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Aachen Austin, TX 8,330 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Aachen
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

Aachen vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,931 in Aachen, $2,704 in Austin, TX – roughly 40% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in eating out.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,896 per month in Aachen and $4,055 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Aachen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $61.0 in Aachen and $85.0 in Austin, TX. That's a good indicator of the overall restaurant and café pricing gap between the two cities.

Monthly expenses with rent come to $1,931 in Aachen and $2,704 in Austin, TX. That's a gap of about 40%.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Aachen, where all-in costs run around $1,931, than in Austin, TX at $2,704. In Aachen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Austin, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Aachen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Aachen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Austin, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.