Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gelsenkirchen

For one person, living is cheaper in Gelsenkirchen: $1,896 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 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
92

Cost of Living Index in Gelsenkirchen
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Gelsenkirchen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Gelsenkirchen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,896

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,896 in Gelsenkirchen.

Austin, TX $2,663
Gelsenkirchen $1,896

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,788 in Gelsenkirchen.

Austin, TX $4,133
Gelsenkirchen $2,788

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,680 in Gelsenkirchen.

Austin, TX $5,603
Gelsenkirchen $3,680

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 40% more expensive than in Gelsenkirchen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Gelsenkirchen 40% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$13.55 €12.05

53.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$76.6 €68.1

10.43%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.53 €9.36

17.00%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.39 €3.90

28.25%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$4.00 €3.56

-7.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$3.19 €2.84

-21.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.41 €4.81

48.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.87 €3.45

132.82%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.28 €1.14

-12.50%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.26 €2.01

65.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.81 €3.39

-14.44%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.43 €3.05

21.57%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.31 €12.73

-9.85%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.81 €9.62

30.99%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$23.90 €21.26

-32.13%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.35 €2.98

29.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.99 €1.77

-26.63%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.19 €1.95

105.94%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.33 €3.86

0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.46 €1.29

76.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.15 €1.02

104.35%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.69 €1.50

5.33%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.79 €0.70

181.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.53 €8.48

3.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.51 €4.91

173.68%

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

$1.48 €1.32

133.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.84 €3.42

-61.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$70.7 €62.9

-40.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.95 €4.40

-44.85%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.25 €2.00

-26.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$33.97 €30.21

3.92%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.27 €2.02

-58.15%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.2K €26.8K

19.50%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$37.2K €33.1K

-27.25%

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

$229 $229

$395 €352

-42.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$25.59 €22.77

132.08%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$39.92 €35.51

75.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$30.97 €27.55

84.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.70 €24.64

-41.05%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$8.68 €7.72

64.52%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$219 €195

586.61%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$18.6K €16.6K

15.23%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$96.9 €86.2

-45.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.60 €34.34

13.52%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$97.0 €86.2

-12.56%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$106 €94.3

-2.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$603 €536

216.26%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$542 €482

135.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,016 €904

260.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$836 €744

203.66%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$1,685 €1,498

351.95%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,331 €1,184

137.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,275 €2,024

125.10%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.96

71.46%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Gelsenkirchen: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Gelsenkirchen

$542 28.6% 57.5% $732

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Gelsenkirchen

$334 17.6% 17.3% $70

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Gelsenkirchen

$461 24.3% 28.6% $103

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Gelsenkirchen

$256 13.5% 27.6% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Gelsenkirchen

$152 8% 19% $24

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Gelsenkirchen

$48 2.6% 43.7% $37

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Gelsenkirchen

$102 5.4% 74.2% $44

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $603 in Gelsenkirchen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 125% 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 $77.0 in Gelsenkirchen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $334 per month, with Gelsenkirchen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Gelsenkirchen

🕒 Local time

14:04 2:04 PM

21:04 9:04 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

270,107

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Gelsenkirchen 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Austin, TX
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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 Gelsenkirchen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gelsenkirchen wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gelsenkirchen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 125% 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 $603 in Gelsenkirchen. 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 $1,896 in Gelsenkirchen – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gelsenkirchen runs roughly 69% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,896 in Gelsenkirchen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gelsenkirchen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gelsenkirchen 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 Gelsenkirchen 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 Gelsenkirchen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.