Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Herne

For one person, living is cheaper in Herne: $2,043 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,400 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
99

Cost of Living Index in Herne
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Herne Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Herne

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,043

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,043 in Herne.

Austin, TX $2,663
Herne $2,043

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,910 in Herne.

Austin, TX $4,133
Herne $2,910

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,776 in Herne.

Austin, TX $5,603
Herne $3,776

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 30% more expensive than in Herne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Herne 51% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.46 €14.64

26.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$78.7 €70.0

7.55%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.07 €10.73

2.07%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.52 €3.13

59.94%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 €2.71

22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.17 €1.93

15.21%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.55 €4.05

76.92%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.73 €3.32

141.55%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.33 €1.18

-15.79%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.37 €2.11

58.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.87 €3.44

-15.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.51 €3.12

18.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.94 €13.29

-13.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.61 €10.33

21.96%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$18.75 €16.68

-13.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.27 €2.91

32.42%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.92 €1.71

-23.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.09 €1.85

115.79%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.06 €3.61

6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.28 €1.14

101.56%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.21 €1.08

94.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.61 €1.43

10.56%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.10 €0.97

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.36 €8.32

5.56%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.81 €6.06

121.44%

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

$1.58 €1.41

118.99%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.21 €2.86

-53.58%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$43.63 €38.81

-4.38%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.71 €4.19

-42.04%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.61 €2.32

-36.40%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$33.55 €29.84

5.22%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.08 €1.85

-54.33%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.7K €27.3K

17.55%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$37.4K €33.3K

-27.68%

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

$229 $229

$382 €340

-40.03%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$33.14 €29.47

79.21%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$49.67 €44.19

40.75%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.53 €34.27

48.56%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$22.68 €20.17

-28.00%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.90 €13.25

-4.16%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$223 €198

575.73%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.5K €14.7K

29.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$91.5 €81.4

-42.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$51.2 €45.55

-14.43%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$100 €89.3

-15.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$132 €118

-22.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$669 €595

185.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$676 €601

88.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$906 €806

304.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$895 €796

183.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$2,306 €2,052

230.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,525 €1,357

106.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,922 €2,599

75.23%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.95

71.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Herne: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Herne

$676 33.1% 47% $598

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Herne

$330 16.2% 18.4% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Herne

$465 22.7% 29.7% $106

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Herne

$261 12.8% 26.2% $93

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Herne

$169 8.3% 32% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Herne

$68 3.3% 20.4% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Herne

$74 3.6% 26.4% $16

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $669 in Herne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 75% 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 $79.0 in Herne for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $330 per month, with Herne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Herne

🕒 Local time

12:59 12:59 PM

19:59 7:59 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

156,449

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Herne 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Herne

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 Herne: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Herne wins on cost – living expenses run 30% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Herne the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 75% 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 $669 in Herne. 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 $2,043 in Herne – a 30% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Herne runs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,043 in Herne versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Herne but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Herne 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 Herne 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 Herne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 30% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.