Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Bochum

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Bochum
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Bochum Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Bochum

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,806

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,806 in Bochum.

Austin, TX $2,663
Bochum $1,806

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,869 in Bochum.

Austin, TX $4,133
Bochum $2,869

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,933 in Bochum.

Austin, TX $5,603
Bochum $3,933

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 47% more expensive than in Bochum, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Bochum 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.55 €14.76

25.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.2 €70.6

6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.43 €11.08

-0.88%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.16 €3.71

35.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.17 €2.83

17.35%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.00 €2.67

-16.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.73 €5.11

40.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.15 €4.60

74.95%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.21 €1.08

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.36 €2.11

58.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.65 €3.26

-10.68%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.67 €3.27

13.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.61 €13.02

-11.70%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$12.42 €11.07

14.01%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$23.25 €20.73

-30.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.31 €2.95

30.82%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.02 €1.80

-27.72%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.13 €1.90

111.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.02 €3.58

7.96%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.33 €1.18

93.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.22 €1.09

92.62%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.55 €1.38

14.84%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.08 €0.97

105.56%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.67 €8.62

2.17%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.54 €5.83

130.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.91 €0.81

220.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.63 €1.45

112.27%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.80 €3.39

-60.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$65.0 €58.0

-35.81%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.55 €4.95

-50.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.72 €2.43

-38.97%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$34.12 €30.42

3.46%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.06 €1.84

-53.88%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$32.2K €28.7K

11.91%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$38.5K €34.4K

-29.74%

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

$229 $229

$324 €289

-29.42%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$30.22 €26.95

96.53%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$36.16 €32.24

93.34%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$30.24 €26.96

89.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$26.57 €23.69

-38.54%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$16.45 €14.67

-13.19%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$400 €357

276.15%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.9K €19.5K

-1.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$89.1 €79.4

-40.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$41.59 €37.09

5.36%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$95.7 €85.4

-11.46%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$134 €120

-23.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$805 €717

137.07%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$463 €412

175.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,290 €1,151

183.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,014 €904

150.28%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,951 €3,523

92.69%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,240 €3,781

-25.54%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,674 €2,385

91.47%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.83

77.28%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Bochum

$463 25.6% 63.7% $812

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Bochum

$345 19.1% 14.9% $60

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Bochum

$391 21.6% 9.1% $33

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Bochum

$283 15.7% 20% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Bochum

$162 9% 26.8% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Bochum

$63 3.5% 26.4% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Bochum

$99 5.5% 69.3% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $805 in Bochum. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 91% 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 $79.0 in Bochum for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $345 per month, with Bochum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Bochum

🕒 Local time

02:26 2:26 AM

09:26 9:26 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

371,075

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Bochum 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Bochum

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 Bochum: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bochum wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Bochum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 91% higher in Austin, TX, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $805 in Bochum. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $1,806 in Bochum – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bochum runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,806 in Bochum versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bochum but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bochum 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 Bochum 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 Bochum gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.