Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Emmen

For one person, living is cheaper in Emmen: $1,881 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Emmen
🇳🇱 Netherlands
$1,881
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,881 in Emmen.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Emmen $1,881

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,894 in Emmen.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Emmen $2,894

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,906 in Emmen.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Emmen $3,906

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 42% more expensive than in Emmen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Emmen 39% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$21.79 €19.38
-4.68%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$81.4 €72.4
3.88%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$13.61 €12.10
-9.48%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.36 €2.99
67.56%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.33 €2.96
11.71%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$3.42 €3.04
-26.90%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$5.45 €4.85
47.71%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$4.42 €3.94
103.85%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.08 €0.96
3.70%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.27 €2.02
65.20%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.64 €2.35
23.48%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$4.34 €3.86
-3.92%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$12.25 €10.90
5.31%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$12.78 €11.37
10.80%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$16.94 €15.07
-4.25%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.68 €2.38
61.57%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$2.43 €2.16
-39.92%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$1.80 €1.60
150.56%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.18 €2.83
36.48%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.77 €1.58
45.76%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.80 €1.60
30.56%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.18 €1.05
50.85%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$0.76 €0.68
192.11%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$12.30 €10.94
-19.67%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$6.59 €5.86
128.83%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$1.30 €1.16
124.62%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.59 €2.31
33.59%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.24 €2.00
-33.48%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
-
-
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$8.29 €7.38
-67.07%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.99 €1.77
-16.58%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$22.49 €20.01
56.96%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$2.41 €2.14
-60.58%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$42.0K €37.3K
-14.08%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$38.6K €34.3K
-29.77%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$166 €148
37.64%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$18.72 €16.65
217.25%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$56.6 €50.3
23.54%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$41.53 €36.94
37.83%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$21.99 €19.56
-25.74%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$13.65 €12.15
4.62%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$2,474 €2,201
-39.14%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$7,960 €7,081
169.54%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$76.8 €68.3
-31.19%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$39.25 €34.92
11.64%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$90.7 €80.7
-6.52%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$100 €89.0
2.92%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$890 €792
114.30%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$775 €689
64.42%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,702 €1,514
115.31%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,330 €1,183
90.79%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
-
-
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
-
-
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Emmen
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,768 €2,462
85.00%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
3.65
86.03%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Emmen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Emmen
$775 39.2% $499
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Emmen
$312 23% $93
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Emmen
$242 32.5% $117
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Emmen
$319 10% $35
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Emmen
$138 7.9% $10
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Emmen
$69 19.8% $17
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Emmen
$27 * 53.6% $31

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $890 in Emmen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 85% 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 $81.0 in Emmen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $312 per month, with Emmen cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇳🇱 Emmen
🕒 Local time
02:38 2:38 AM
09:38 9:38 AM
7 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
108,765
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Emmen 8,270 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Emmen

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 Emmen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Emmen?
Emmen wins on cost – living expenses run 42% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Emmen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Emmen?
Average pay runs 85% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Emmen?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $890 in Emmen. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How do childcare costs compare in Austin, TX and in Emmen?
Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $2,474 in Emmen. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.
How do dining costs compare in Austin, TX and in Emmen?
Dining out is cheaper in Emmen – a meal for two runs $81.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.
Can you live on $3,000/month in Austin, TX or in Emmen?
At $1,881 in Emmen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Emmen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Emmen the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Emmen?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Emmen?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Emmen are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Emmen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 42% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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