Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Kriens

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,185 in Kriens, rent and utilities included – about $6,300 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
154

Cost of Living Index in Kriens
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Kriens Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Kriens

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,185

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,185 in Kriens.

Austin, TX $2,663
Kriens $3,185

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,881 in Kriens.

Austin, TX $4,133
Kriens $4,881

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,576 in Kriens.

Austin, TX $5,603
Kriens $6,576

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 16% less than in Kriens, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Kriens 136% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$29.12 CHF 23.98

-28.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$105 CHF 86.3

-19.27%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$18.26 CHF 15.04

-32.53%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.94 CHF 4.89

-5.22%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$5.05 CHF 4.16

-26.34%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.91 CHF 4.05

-49.08%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.96 CHF 4.91

35.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.77 CHF 5.58

33.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.04 CHF 1.68

-45.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.63 CHF 2.99

3.31%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.60 CHF 2.14

25.38%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.59 CHF 6.25

-45.06%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$27.12 CHF 22.34

-52.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$31.41 CHF 25.87

-54.92%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$40.84 CHF 33.64

-60.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.87 CHF 2.37

50.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.80 CHF 1.48

-18.89%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.35 CHF 1.94

91.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.50 CHF 4.53

-21.09%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.65 CHF 1.36

56.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.02 CHF 1.66

16.34%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.29 CHF 1.88

-22.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.37 CHF 1.13

62.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.92 CHF 9.00

-9.52%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.38 CHF 8.55

45.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.51 CHF 2.07

16.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.81 CHF 2.31

23.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.63 CHF 3.81

-67.82%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$99.9 CHF 82.2

-58.22%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$6.91 CHF 5.69

-60.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$5.88 CHF 4.85

-71.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$36.61 CHF 30.15

-3.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.23 CHF 1.84

-57.40%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$42.8K CHF 35.3K

-15.87%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.6K CHF 32.6K

-31.58%

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

$229 $229

$119 CHF 98.1

92.17%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$37.75 CHF 31.09

57.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.4 CHF 45.65

26.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$90.7 CHF 74.7

-36.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$44.27 CHF 36.46

-63.11%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$22.03 CHF 18.15

-35.18%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$3,113 CHF 2,564

-51.62%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$35.7K CHF 29.4K

-39.86%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$90.8 CHF 74.8

-41.81%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$68.0 CHF 56.0

-35.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$110 CHF 90.5

-22.82%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$169 CHF 139

-39.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,709 CHF 1,408

11.60%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,450 CHF 1,194

-12.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,788 CHF 2,296

31.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,421 CHF 1,994

4.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$16.0K CHF 13.2K

-52.38%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$11.9K CHF 9,776

-73.40%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.9

257.37%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Kriens: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Kriens

$1.4K 45.5% 13.8% $176

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Kriens

$594 18.7% 46.8% $189

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Kriens

$212 6.7% 40.7% $146

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Kriens

$442 13.9% 25% $88

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Kriens

$197 6.2% 53.9% $69

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Kriens

$135 4.2% 57.1% $49

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Kriens

$155 4.9% 164% $96

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,709 in Kriens. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $105 in Kriens for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $594 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Kriens

🕒 Local time

08:38 8:38 AM

15:38 3:38 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,932

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

CHF, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

CHF to USD in detail →

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Austin, TX Kriens 8,680 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Austin, TX
Kriens

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 Kriens: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Kriens. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $4,777 in Kriens to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,709 in Kriens. 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 $3,185 in Kriens – a 20% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 139% less than in Kriens. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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 Kriens 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 20% less than in Kriens. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.