Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Jena

For one person, living is cheaper in Jena: $1,786 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 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
87

Cost of Living Index in Jena
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Jena Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Jena

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,786

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,786 in Jena.

Austin, TX $2,663
Jena $1,786

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,668 in Jena.

Austin, TX $4,133
Jena $2,668

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,550 in Jena.

Austin, TX $5,603
Jena $3,550

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 49% more expensive than in Jena, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Jena 32% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.92 €11.49

60.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$65.9 €58.7

28.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.28 €10.03

9.22%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.02 €3.58

40.05%

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

$2.99 €2.66

-16.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.61 €4.99

43.49%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.55 €4.04

98.02%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.15 €1.03

-2.61%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.16 €1.92

73.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.92 €2.60

11.64%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.65 €3.25

14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$14.56 €12.95

-11.40%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.63 €10.35

21.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$19.23 €17.11

-15.65%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.10 €2.76

39.68%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.85 €1.64

-21.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.05 €1.82

120.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.98 €3.54

9.05%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.36 €1.21

89.71%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.13 €1.00

107.96%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.45 €1.29

22.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.10 €0.98

101.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$9.80 €8.72

0.82%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$5.54 €4.93

172.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$0.99 €0.88

194.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.44 €1.28

140.28%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.86 €2.54

-47.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$69.1 €61.4

-39.59%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.53 €4.03

-39.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.71 €2.41

-38.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$33.59 €29.88

5.09%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.19 €1.95

-56.62%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$30.1K €26.8K

19.63%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$38.5K €34.2K

-29.63%

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

$229 $229

$380 €338

-39.78%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$20.18 €17.95

194.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$42.58 €37.87

64.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.48 €32.45

56.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.06 €8.95

41.95%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$874 €778

72.28%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$15.2K €13.5K

41.50%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$86.4 €76.8

-38.85%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$40.90 €36.38

7.14%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$108 €96.1

-21.57%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$121 €108

-15.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$719 €639

165.34%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$462 €411

175.61%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,212 €1,078

202.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$845 €752

200.33%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,753 €2,449

14.68%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,204 €2,850

59.81%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.96

71.46%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Jena: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Jena

$462 25.9% 63.7% $812

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Jena

$318 17.8% 21.4% $87

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Jena

$443 24.8% 23.6% $85

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Jena

$247 13.8% 30.3% $107

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Jena

$161 9% 25.4% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Jena

$57 3.2% 34% $29

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Jena

$99 5.5% 68% $40

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $719 in Jena. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 60% 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 $66.0 in Jena for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $318 per month, with Jena cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇩🇪 Jena

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

10:27 10:27 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

111,343

💱 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Jena 8,650 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Jena

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 Jena: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Jena wins on cost – living expenses run 49% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Jena the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 60% 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 $719 in Jena. 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 $1,786 in Jena – a 49% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Jena runs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,786 in Jena versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Jena but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Jena 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 Jena 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 Jena gentler on the wallet – expenses run 49% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.