Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Basel

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $3,548 in Basel, rent and utilities included – about $10,100 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
170

Cost of Living Index in Basel
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Basel Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Basel

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,548

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $3,548 in Basel.

Austin, TX $2,704
Basel $3,548

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,573 in Basel.

Austin, TX $4,133
Basel $5,573

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $7,599 in Basel.

Austin, TX $5,562
Basel $7,599

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 24% less than in Basel, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Basel 165% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$30.00 CHF 24.95

-32.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$125 CHF 104

-32.11%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$18.03 CHF 15.00

-31.50%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$6.54 CHF 5.44

-16.36%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$6.48 CHF 5.39

-41.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$5.77 CHF 4.80

-56.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.22 CHF 7.66

-12.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.42 CHF 7.84

-4.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.20 CHF 1.83

-48.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.09 CHF 2.57

22.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.34 CHF 2.77

-2.69%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$7.70 CHF 6.40

-46.23%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$26.14 CHF 21.73

-49.96%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$27.34 CHF 22.73

-47.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$41.29 CHF 34.33

-61.35%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.63 CHF 3.02

20.66%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.27 CHF 1.89

-36.12%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.03 CHF 2.52

49.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.70 CHF 3.91

-10.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.75 CHF 1.46

50.29%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.98 CHF 1.65

19.19%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.17 CHF 1.81

-18.89%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.61 CHF 1.34

34.16%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$11.41 CHF 9.49

-14.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.15 CHF 10.10

21.15%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.45 CHF 2.04

13.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.98 CHF 2.48

16.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.82 CHF 4.01

-69.09%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$103 CHF 85.4

-60.56%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$7.68 CHF 6.39

-65.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$4.70 CHF 3.91

-66.38%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$82.9 CHF 68.9

-57.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.31 CHF 1.92

-57.14%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$42.0K CHF 34.9K

-14.74%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$39.3K CHF 32.7K

-30.86%

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

$219 $219

$286 CHF 238

-23.34%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$46.01 CHF 38.26

26.04%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$63.0 CHF 52.4

8.53%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$83.2 CHF 69.2

-30.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$57.2 CHF 47.54

-74.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$22.81 CHF 18.97

-38.05%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,915 CHF 2,424

-48.22%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$32.5K CHF 27.0K

-33.95%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$147 CHF 122

-64.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$79.8 CHF 66.4

-44.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$164 CHF 137

-48.22%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$197 CHF 164

-46.66%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,943 CHF 1,616

-0.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,503 CHF 1,250

-15.36%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,544 CHF 2,947

3.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,822 CHF 2,346

-10.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$18.3K CHF 15.2K

-58.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$14.4K CHF 12.0K

-77.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$6,904 CHF 5,741

-26.06%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.42

180.58%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Basel: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Basel

$1.5K 42.8% 18.2% $231

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Basel

$583 16.6% 44.7% $180

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Basel

$487 13.8% 39.8% $139

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Basel

$395 11.2% 14.3% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Basel

$265 7.5% 106% $136

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Basel

$129 3.7% 49.5% $43

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Basel

$153 4.4% 169% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,943 in Basel. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Basel pays 35% 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 $125 in Basel for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $583 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Basel

🕒 Local time

03:14 3:14 AM

10:14 10:14 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

174,491

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 CHF = 1.2 USD

1 CHF = 1.07 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 0.832 CHF (1 CHF = 1.2 USD). 1 EUR = 0.933 CHF (1 CHF = 1.07 EUR).

CHF to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Basel 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Basel

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 Basel: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 31% lower than in Basel. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 35% lower in Basel. 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,943 in Basel. 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 $3,548 in Basel – a 31% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 154% less than in Basel. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

Both work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,704 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Basel 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 31% less than in Basel. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.