Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Heraklion

For one person, living is cheaper in Heraklion: $1,609 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,100 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
78

Cost of Living Index in Heraklion
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Heraklion Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Heraklion

🇬🇷 Greece

$1,609

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,609 in Heraklion.

Austin, TX $2,704
Heraklion $1,609

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,492 in Heraklion.

Austin, TX $4,133
Heraklion $2,492

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,374 in Heraklion.

Austin, TX $5,562
Heraklion $3,374

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 68% more expensive than in Heraklion, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Heraklion 20% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$13.02 €11.62

55.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$56.5 €50.4

50.63%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.03 €8.96

23.13%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.80 €3.39

43.95%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.43 €2.17

57.20%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$0.76 €0.68

228.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$5.62 €5.02

43.42%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$5.48 €4.89

64.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.79 €1.60

-36.87%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.47 €1.32

157.14%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.73 €2.43

19.05%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.38 €3.91

-5.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$15.75 €14.06

-16.95%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.42 €9.30

37.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.23 €13.59

4.79%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.23 €1.99

96.41%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.08 €1.86

-30.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$1.34 €1.20

238.81%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$1.76 €1.57

138.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.18 €1.05

122.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.22 €1.09

93.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$0.94 €0.84

87.23%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.71 €0.63

204.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$5.12 €4.57

91.60%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$7.80 €6.96

88.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$2.27 €2.03

22.47%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$2.88 €2.57

20.83%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.47 €1.31

1.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$67.0 €59.8

-39.54%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.51 €4.02

-40.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.13 €1.01

39.82%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$11.08 €9.89

218.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$2.24 €2.00

-55.80%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.0K €25.0K

28.04%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$24.0K €21.5K

13.04%

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

$219 $219

$195 €174

12.41%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$30.21 €26.96

91.96%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$37.66 €33.61

81.52%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$49.93 €44.56

15.96%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$39.72 €35.44

-62.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$9.05 €8.07

56.13%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$410 €366

268.30%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$4,089 €3,649

424.81%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$89.0 €79.4

-41.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$42.78 €38.18

2.97%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$82.6 €73.7

2.98%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$136 €122

-22.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$652 €582

196.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$505 €450

152.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,105 €986

232.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,005 €897

151.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,070 €3,632

87.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,799 €2,498

14.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$1,111 €992

359.37%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

4.44

52.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Heraklion: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Heraklion

$505 31.5% 60.3% $768

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Heraklion

$295 18.4% 26.8% $108

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Heraklion

$232 14.5% 33.4% $116

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Heraklion

$263 16.4% 23.9% $83

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Heraklion

$158 9.8% 22.5% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Heraklion

$68 4.2% 21.1% $18

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Heraklion

$83 5.2% 45.7% $26

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $652 in Heraklion. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 359% 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 $56.0 in Heraklion for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $295 per month, with Heraklion cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇬🇷 Heraklion

🕒 Local time

03:30 3:30 AM

11:30 11:30 AM

8 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

140,730

💱 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 Heraklion 10,590 km ≈ 14 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Heraklion

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 Heraklion: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Heraklion wins on cost – living expenses run 68% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Heraklion the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 359% 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 $652 in Heraklion. 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 $1,609 in Heraklion – a 68% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Heraklion runs roughly 65% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,609 in Heraklion versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Heraklion but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Heraklion 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 Heraklion 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 Heraklion gentler on the wallet – expenses run 68% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.