Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Heerlen

For one person, living is cheaper in Heerlen: $2,263 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,800 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
110

Cost of Living Index in Heerlen
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Heerlen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Heerlen

🇳🇱 Netherlands

$2,263

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,263 in Heerlen.

Austin, TX $2,663
Heerlen $2,263

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,443 in Heerlen.

Austin, TX $4,133
Heerlen $3,443

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,623 in Heerlen.

Austin, TX $5,603
Heerlen $4,623

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 18% more expensive than in Heerlen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Heerlen 68% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$23.62 €21.01

-12.07%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$96.7 €86.0

-12.52%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$18.89 €16.81

-34.78%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.89 €3.46

44.73%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.30 €2.94

12.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.26 €2.01

10.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.24 €5.55

29.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.59 €4.97

61.18%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.33 €1.19

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.36 €2.10

58.90%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.59 €2.31

25.87%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.32 €3.84

-3.47%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.52 €10.25

11.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$13.77 €12.25

2.83%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.78 €15.81

-8.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.39 €2.12

81.17%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.39 €2.12

-38.91%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.10 €1.87

114.76%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.31 €3.83

0.70%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 €1.64

40.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.13 €1.89

10.33%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.31 €1.17

35.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.79 €0.71

181.01%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$14.17 €12.61

-30.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$7.12 €6.34

111.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.41 €1.25

107.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.64 €2.35

31.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.70 €3.29

-59.73%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$58.9 €52.4

-29.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.22 €5.53

-56.11%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.64 €1.46

1.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$22.14 €19.70

59.44%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.37 €2.10

-59.92%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.5K €25.3K

26.62%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$35.5K €31.6K

-23.82%

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

$229 $229

$190 €169

20.47%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$26.76 €23.81

121.94%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.1 €49.05

26.79%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$35.36 €31.46

61.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$27.49 €24.45

-40.60%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.48 €11.99

5.93%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$680 €605

121.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$5,341 €4,751

301.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$99.8 €88.8

-47.09%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$49.68 €44.19

-11.80%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$101 €89.4

-15.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$187 €167

-45.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,106 €984

72.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$958 €852

33.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,930 €1,717

89.89%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,569 €1,396

61.78%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,941 €3,506

93.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,828 €2,515

11.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,883 €2,564

77.65%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.35

56.09%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Heerlen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Heerlen

$958 42.3% 24.8% $316

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Heerlen

$329 14.5% 18.8% $76

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Heerlen

$272 12% 24.1% $86

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Heerlen

$357 15.8% 0.9% $3

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Heerlen

$197 8.7% 53.8% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Heerlen

$62 2.8% 27.4% $23

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Heerlen

$88 3.9% 50.1% $29

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,106 in Heerlen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 78% 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 $97.0 in Heerlen. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $329, with Heerlen cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇱 Heerlen

🕒 Local time

18:38 6:38 PM

01:38 1:38 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

87,086

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Heerlen 8,320 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Heerlen

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 Heerlen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heerlen wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heerlen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 78% 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 $1,106 in Heerlen. 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 $2,263 in Heerlen – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Heerlen runs roughly 41% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,263 in Heerlen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Heerlen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Heerlen 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 Heerlen 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 Heerlen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.