Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dortmund

For one person, living is cheaper in Dortmund: $2,033 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Dortmund
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Dortmund Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Dortmund

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,033

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,033 in Dortmund.

Austin, TX $2,704
Dortmund $2,033

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,086 in Dortmund.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dortmund $3,086

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,140 in Dortmund.

Austin, TX $5,562
Dortmund $4,140

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 33% more expensive than in Dortmund, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Dortmund 52% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$16.71 €14.92

21.01%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$79.2 €70.7

7.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.12 €10.82

1.90%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.82 €3.41

43.19%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.99 €2.67

27.76%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.87 €2.56

-12.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.74 €5.12

40.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$4.97 €4.43

80.89%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.40 €1.25

-19.29%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.35 €2.10

60.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$3.78 €3.37

-14.02%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.75 €3.35

10.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$15.55 €13.88

-15.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$11.72 €10.46

22.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$23.53 €21.00

-32.17%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.38 €3.02

29.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.28 €2.03

-36.40%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.20 €1.96

106.36%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.10 €3.66

2.20%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.30 €1.16

102.31%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.62 €1.45

45.68%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.62 €1.44

8.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.09 €0.97

98.17%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$9.47 €8.45

3.59%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$6.78 €6.05

117.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$1.13 €1.01

146.02%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.70 €1.52

104.71%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.00 €3.57

-62.75%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$66.3 €59.2

-38.92%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.45 €4.87

-51.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.86 €2.55

-44.76%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$36.34 €32.43

-2.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.09 €1.87

-52.63%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$33.5K €29.9K

6.73%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$39.0K €34.8K

-30.33%

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

$219 $219

$399 €356

-45.09%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$30.53 €27.25

89.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$50.7 €45.21

34.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$38.59 €34.44

50.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$27.25 €24.32

-45.61%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$16.57 €14.79

-14.73%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$408 €364

270.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$27.7K €24.7K

-22.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$90.5 €80.8

-42.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$51.3 €45.78

-14.13%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$87.7 €78.3

-3.00%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$175 €157

-39.96%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$718 €641

168.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$586 €523

117.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,302 €1,162

181.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,094 €976

130.81%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$3,056 €2,728

149.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,289 €2,043

39.76%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,170 €2,829

61.05%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Dortmund: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Dortmund

$586 28.5% 54% $687

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Dortmund

$353 17.2% 12.5% $50

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Dortmund

$278 13.5% 20.1% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Dortmund

$480 23.4% 39% $135

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Dortmund

$182 8.9% 41.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Dortmund

$72 3.5% 16.7% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Dortmund

$102 5% 79.1% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $718 in Dortmund. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 61% 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 Dortmund for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $353 per month, with Dortmund cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Dortmund

🕒 Local time

06:16 6:16 AM

13:16 1:16 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

600,933

💱 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 Dortmund 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dortmund

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 Dortmund: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dortmund wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dortmund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $718 in Dortmund. 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 $2,033 in Dortmund – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dortmund runs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,033 in Dortmund versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund 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 Dortmund 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 Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.