Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ilmenau

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilmenau: $2,071 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
100

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
Learn more

Ilmenau Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,071

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,071 in Ilmenau.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ilmenau $2,071

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,525 in Ilmenau.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ilmenau $2,525

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $2,980 in Ilmenau.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ilmenau $2,980

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 29% more expensive than in Ilmenau, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ilmenau 53% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.96 €9.75

89.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$66.5 €59.2

27.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.27 €10.02

9.32%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.41 €3.04

65.10%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$4.26 €3.79

-12.68%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$7.97 €7.09

-68.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.41 €3.92

82.54%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.99 €4.44

80.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.13 €1.01

-0.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.14 €1.90

75.23%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.24 €2.88

0.62%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.23 €2.87

29.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.33 €12.75

-9.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.24 €9.11

38.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$17.76 €15.79

-8.67%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.87 €2.55

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.40 €1.24

4.29%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.50 €3.11

28.86%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.82 €3.40

13.61%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.11 €1.88

22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.36 €1.21

72.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.63 €1.45

9.20%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.88 €0.78

152.27%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.22 €8.20

7.16%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.22 €5.53

142.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.11 €0.99

163.06%

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

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$65.3 €58.1

-36.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.23 €4.65

-47.80%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$4.21 €3.75

-60.57%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$43.78 €38.94

-19.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.14 €1.90

-55.61%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$32.3K €28.7K

11.75%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$37.8K €33.6K

-28.31%

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

$229 $229

$675 €600

-66.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.38 €24.36

116.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$34.08 €30.32

105.13%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$48.13 €42.81

18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.20 €11.74

8.18%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$454 €404

231.51%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$93.0 €82.8

-43.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$31.50 €28.02

39.11%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$121 €107

-29.79%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$113 €101

-8.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$471 €419

305.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$455 €404

180.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$828 €737

342.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,254 €2,894

57.38%

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 Ilmenau: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ilmenau

$455 22% 64.3% $820

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ilmenau

$309 14.9% 23.6% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ilmenau

$736 35.6% 106% $378

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ilmenau

$243 11.8% 31.2% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ilmenau

$161 7.8% 26% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ilmenau

$75 3.6% 13.1% $11

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.4% 56% $33

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $471 in Ilmenau. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 57% 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 $67.0 in Ilmenau for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $309 per month, with Ilmenau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🕒 Local time

03:35 3:35 AM

10:35 10:35 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

39,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ilmenau 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ilmenau

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 Ilmenau: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ilmenau wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ilmenau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 57% 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 $471 in Ilmenau. 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 $2,071 in Ilmenau – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilmenau runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,071 in Ilmenau versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilmenau but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ilmenau 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 Ilmenau 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 Ilmenau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.