Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dessau

For one person, living is cheaper in Dessau: $1,795 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,400 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Dessau
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Dessau Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Dessau

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,795

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,795 in Dessau.

Austin, TX $2,663
Dessau $1,795

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,880 in Dessau.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dessau $2,880

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,965 in Dessau.

Austin, TX $5,603
Dessau $3,965

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 48% more expensive than in Dessau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Dessau 33% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.43 €14.61

26.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$83.7 €74.5

1.06%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.15 €13.47

-18.68%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.27 €3.80

31.85%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.84 €2.53

30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.24 €3.77

-41.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.07 €4.51

58.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.45 €4.85

65.32%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.38 €1.23

-18.84%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.05 €1.83

82.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.87 €3.44

-15.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.63 €3.23

14.88%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.07 €8.95

28.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.70 €10.40

21.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$21.72 €19.32

-25.32%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.37 €3.00

28.49%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.13 €1.90

-31.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.17 €1.93

107.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.63 €3.23

19.56%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.25 €1.11

106.40%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.17 €1.04

100.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.62 €1.44

9.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.23 €1.09

80.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.58 €8.53

3.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.73 €5.99

124.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.08 €0.96

170.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.66 €1.48

108.43%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.53 €2.25

-41.11%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$64.9 €57.7

-35.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.10 €4.53

-46.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.38 €2.12

-30.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$33.53 €29.83

5.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.92 €1.71

-50.52%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$33.4K €29.7K

8.06%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$37.9K €33.7K

-28.57%

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

$229 $229

$288 €256

-20.50%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$25.96 €23.09

128.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$50.8 €45.19

37.62%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$71.1 €63.2

-19.47%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.29 €19.83

-26.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$11.95 €10.63

19.50%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$303 €269

397.50%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$73.1 €65.0

-27.72%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$46.38 €41.25

-5.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$132 €117

-35.72%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$171 €152

-39.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$445 €396

328.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$436 €388

191.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$720 €641

408.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$987 €878

157.23%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,356 €2,985

126.89%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,748 €1,555

80.64%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,145 €1,908

138.71%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.95

71.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dessau: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Dessau

$436 24.3% 65.8% $838

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Dessau

$324 18.1% 19.9% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Dessau

$365 20.3% 1.8% $6.5

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Dessau

$293 16.3% 17.3% $61

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Dessau

$190 10.6% 48.4% $62

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Dessau

$95 5.3% 10.7% $9.2

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Dessau

$92 5.1% 56.8% $33

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $445 in Dessau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 139% 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 $84.0 in Dessau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $324 per month, with Dessau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Dessau

🕒 Local time

16:33 4:33 PM

23:33 11:33 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

68,116

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Dessau 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dessau

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 Dessau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dessau wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dessau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 139% 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 $445 in Dessau. 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 $1,795 in Dessau – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dessau runs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,795 in Dessau versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dessau but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dessau 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 Dessau 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 Dessau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.