Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Brugge

For one person, living is cheaper in Brugge: $2,117 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 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
103

Cost of Living Index in Brugge
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Brugge Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Brugge

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,117

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,117 in Brugge.

Austin, TX $2,663
Brugge $2,117

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,097 in Brugge.

Austin, TX $4,133
Brugge $3,097

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,077 in Brugge.

Austin, TX $5,603
Brugge $4,077

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 26% more expensive than in Brugge, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Brugge 57% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.26 €19.80

-6.69%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.3 €70.5

6.71%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.35 €10.09

8.55%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.36 €3.88

29.13%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.89 €2.57

28.72%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.85 €2.53

-12.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.35 €4.76

50.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.33 €3.85

108.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.19 €1.06

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.93 €1.71

94.30%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.04 €1.82

59.80%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.93 €3.50

6.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.55 €10.27

11.69%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.83 €10.52

19.70%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.28 €17.15

-15.87%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.63 €2.34

64.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.10 €1.87

-30.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.13 €1.89

111.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.23 €1.99

94.62%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.25 €2.00

14.67%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.89 €0.80

164.04%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.52 €1.35

17.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.87 €0.77

155.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$13.23 €11.77

-25.32%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.05 €6.27

113.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.09 €0.97

167.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.90 €1.69

82.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.12 €2.78

-52.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$53.7 €47.77

-22.32%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.29 €2.93

-17.02%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.50 €2.22

-33.60%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$25.26 €22.47

39.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.97 €1.75

-51.78%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$35.0K €31.1K

3.07%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.8K €30.0K

-19.80%

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

$229 $229

$214 €191

6.91%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.38 €16.35

223.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$52.8 €46.94

32.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$43.18 €38.41

32.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.49 €12.00

21.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.39 €12.80

-0.76%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$592 €527

154.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,925 €4,381

335.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$102 €91.1

-48.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$58.8 €52.3

-25.49%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$88.5 €78.7

-4.19%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$253 €225

-59.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$919 €818

107.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$828 €737

53.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,282 €1,140

185.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,176 €1,046

115.85%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,650 €2,357

187.31%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,463 €2,191

28.20%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,551 €2,269

100.76%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.52

92.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Brugge: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Brugge

$828 39.1% 35% $446

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Brugge

$301 14.2% 25.7% $104

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Brugge

$285 13.5% 20.4% $73

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Brugge

$323 15.3% 8.7% $31

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Brugge

$226 10.7% 76.7% $98

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Brugge

$72 3.4% 16.1% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Brugge

$82 3.9% 39.7% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $919 in Brugge. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 101% 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 Brugge for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $301 per month, with Brugge cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇪 Brugge

🕒 Local time

12:55 12:55 PM

19:55 7:55 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

117,639

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Austin, TX Brugge 8,130 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Brugge

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 Brugge: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brugge wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brugge the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 101% 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 $919 in Brugge. 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 $2,117 in Brugge – a 26% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Brugge runs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,117 in Brugge versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Brugge but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Brugge 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 Brugge 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 Brugge gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.