Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Aarau and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Aarau and in Austin, TX: $2,794 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

135

Cost of Living Index in Aarau
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Aarau Living Index
130

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

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Aarau

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$2,794

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

A single person spends $2,794 per month in Aarau vs $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aarau $2,794
Austin, TX $2,663

A couple spends around $4,568 per month in Aarau vs $4,133 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aarau $4,568
Austin, TX $4,133

A family of three spends $6,342 per month in Aarau vs $5,603 in Austin, TX, rent included.

Aarau $6,342
Austin, TX $5,603

Aarau costs about 5% more than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both Aarau and Austin, TX sit above the global median – Aarau by 107%, Austin, TX by 97%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$29.07 CHF 23.94

$20.77 $20.77

39.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$106 CHF 87.6

$84.6 $84.6

25.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$17.63 CHF 14.52

$12.32 $12.32

43.10%

Cappuccino

$5.80 CHF 4.78

$5.63 $5.63

3.02%

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

$5.22 CHF 4.30

$3.72 $3.72

40.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.70 CHF 3.87

$2.50 $2.50

88.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.15 CHF 5.06

$8.05 $8.05

-23.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.60 CHF 5.44

$9.01 $9.01

-26.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.05 CHF 1.69

$1.12 $1.12

83.04%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 CHF 2.98

$3.75 $3.75

-3.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.59 CHF 2.13

$3.26 $3.26

-20.55%

Eggs

$7.22 CHF 5.95

$4.17 $4.17

73.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$30.30 CHF 24.96

$12.90 $12.90

134.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.16

$14.16 $14.16

107.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.30 CHF 33.19

$16.22 $16.22

148.46%

Apples (1kg)

$2.89 CHF 2.38

$4.33 $4.33

-33.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.78 CHF 1.46

$1.46 $1.46

21.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.44 CHF 2.01

$4.51 $4.51

-45.90%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.50 CHF 4.53

$4.34 $4.34

26.73%

Potato (1kg)

$1.66 CHF 1.37

$2.58 $2.58

-35.66%

Onion (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.35 $2.35

-16.60%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 CHF 1.87

$1.78 $1.78

28.09%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 CHF 0.98

$2.22 $2.22

-46.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.86 CHF 8.94

$9.88 $9.88

9.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.21 CHF 8.41

$15.08 $15.08

-32.29%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.49 CHF 2.05

$2.92 $2.92

-14.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.86 CHF 2.36

$3.46 $3.46

-17.34%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$5.11 CHF 4.20

$1.49 $1.49

242.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$146 CHF 120

$41.72 $41.72

250.36%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$6.84 CHF 5.64

$2.73 $2.73

150.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.32 CHF 2.74

$1.66 $1.66

100.00%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$58.8 CHF 48.45

$35.30 $35.30

66.63%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.22 CHF 1.83

$0.95 $0.95

133.68%

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

$42.9K CHF 35.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

19.08%

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

$39.3K CHF 32.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

45.09%

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

$120 CHF 98.9

$229 $229

-47.55%

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

$30.84 CHF 25.40

$59.4 $59.4

-48.07%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.7 CHF 45.84

$69.9 $69.9

-20.40%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$97.9 CHF 80.6

$57.2 $57.2

71.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$59.6 CHF 49.04

$16.33 $16.33

264.67%

Cinema Ticket

$21.42 CHF 17.64

$14.28 $14.28

50.00%

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

$3,152 CHF 2,596

$1,506 $1,506

109.34%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.4K CHF 26.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

51.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$88.7 CHF 73.0

$52.8 $52.8

67.92%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$70.6 CHF 58.2

$43.82 $43.82

61.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 CHF 90.1

$84.8 $84.8

29.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$169 CHF 140

$103 $103

64.46%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,277 CHF 1,052

$1,907 $1,907

-33.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,033 CHF 851

$1,274 $1,274

-18.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,290 CHF 1,886

$3,664 $3,664

-37.51%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,114 CHF 1,742

$2,538 $2,538

-16.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.8K CHF 9,759

$3,157 $3,157

275.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,801 CHF 5,601

$5,121 $5,121

32.80%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.31

6.79

-65.98%

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

Last update for Aarau: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Aarau

$1K 37%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 23.3% $241

Groceries & Markets

Aarau

$588 21%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 31.2% $183

Eating Out

Aarau

$439 15.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.3% $85

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Aarau

$207 7.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 73.4% $152

Clothing & Footwear

Aarau

$197 7.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 35.1% $69

Getting Around

Aarau

$190 6.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 69.1% $131

Sport & Entertainment

Aarau

$141 5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 39.1% $55

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,277 in Aarau versus $1,907 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 33% higher in Aarau, 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 $106 in Aarau versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. Monthly groceries follow the same trend: $588 vs $405 – making Austin, TX the more affordable choice for daily food spending.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Aarau

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

23:47 11:47 PM

16:47 4:47 PM

7 h behind Aarau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

21,191

974,447

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

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Between locations

Aarau Austin, TX 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Aarau
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

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

Aarau costs about 5% more than Austin, TX, and outside of rent the gap comes mainly from groceries. That's enough to noticeably affect everyday spending and lifestyle for anyone choosing between the two.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $4,191 per month in Aarau and $3,995 in Austin, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

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

Public transport costs about 250% less in Austin, TX. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $3,152 per month in Aarau and $1,506 in Austin, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

$2,000 is a stretch for both – monthly costs hit $2,794 in Aarau and $2,663 in Austin, TX. You'll need shared housing and careful budgeting no matter which city you pick.

Families tend to lean toward Austin, TX – 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 Austin, TX. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Aarau makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.