Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Gent

For one person, living is cheaper in Gent: $2,192 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,100 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
109

Cost of Living Index in Gent
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Gent Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Gent

🇧🇪 Belgium

$2,192

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,192 in Gent.

Austin, TX $2,704
Gent $2,192

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,416 in Gent.

Austin, TX $4,133
Gent $3,416

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,640 in Gent.

Austin, TX $5,562
Gent $4,640

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 23% more expensive than in Gent, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Gent 64% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$22.23 €19.84

-9.04%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$114 €102

-25.46%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$15.74 €14.05

-21.54%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.26 €3.80

28.40%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.34 €2.98

14.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.98 €2.66

-16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.56 €4.97

44.96%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.63 €5.02

59.68%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.18 €1.05

-4.24%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.81 €2.51

34.52%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.18 €1.94

49.08%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$3.98 €3.56

4.02%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$18.44 €16.46

-29.07%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$12.50 €11.16

14.48%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$19.94 €17.79

-19.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.74 €2.44

59.85%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.44 €2.18

-40.57%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.61 €2.33

73.95%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$2.92 €2.61

43.49%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.14 €1.91

22.90%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.95 €1.74

21.03%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$1.34 €1.19

31.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.10 €0.98

96.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$12.90 €11.51

-23.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.79 €7.85

67.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.00 €1.78

39.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.38 €2.13

46.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.40 €3.03

-56.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$58.5 €52.2

-30.80%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$11.44 €10.21

-76.66%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$2.98 €2.66

-46.98%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$51.6 €46.02

-31.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.01 €1.80

-50.75%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$34.9K €31.1K

2.69%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$33.5K €29.9K

-18.94%

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

$219 $219

$226 €202

-2.95%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$21.13 €18.85

174.44%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$47.32 €42.23

44.46%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$34.93 €31.17

65.76%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$13.18 €11.76

12.44%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$16.05 €14.32

-11.96%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$563 €503

167.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$21.1K €18.9K

1.51%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$107 €95.2

-51.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$47.92 €42.77

-8.08%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$108 €96.7

-21.48%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$152 €135

-30.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,194 €1,065

61.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$880 €786

44.54%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,807 €1,613

103.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,558 €1,390

62.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$5,336 €4,761

42.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$3,030 €2,704

5.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$3,564 €3,180

43.24%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.2

112.19%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Gent: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Gent

$880 39.6% 30.8% $392

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Gent

$357 16% 11.5% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Gent

$341 15.3% 2.2% $7.5

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Gent

$294 13.2% 14.8% $51

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Gent

$187 8.4% 45% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Gent

$67 3% 22.2% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Gent

$98 4.4% 72.7% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,194 in Gent. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 43% 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 $114 in Gent. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $357, with Gent cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇪 Gent

🕒 Local time

23:56 11:56 PM

06:56 6:56 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

237,000

💱 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 Gent 8,170 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Gent

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 Gent: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Gent wins on cost – living expenses run 23% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gent the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 43% 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 $1,194 in Gent. 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 $2,192 in Gent – a 23% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gent runs roughly 45% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,192 in Gent versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Gent but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gent 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 Gent 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 Gent gentler on the wallet – expenses run 23% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.