Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Meilen

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,372 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 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
163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
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Meilen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,372 in Meilen.

Austin, TX $2,663
Meilen $3,372

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,942 in Meilen.

Austin, TX $4,133
Meilen $5,942

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $8,512 in Meilen.

Austin, TX $5,603
Meilen $8,512

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 21% less than in Meilen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Meilen 150% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$32.47 CHF 26.74

-36.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$122 CHF 101

-30.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$16.33 CHF 13.45

-24.56%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.31 CHF 5.19

-10.78%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$5.68 CHF 4.67

-34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$5.01 CHF 4.13

-50.10%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.46 CHF 6.97

-4.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.29 CHF 6.83

8.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.21 CHF 1.82

-49.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.27 CHF 2.69

14.68%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.78 CHF 3.11

-13.76%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.49 CHF 6.17

-44.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$26.56 CHF 21.87

-51.43%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$25.69 CHF 21.16

-44.88%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$40.25 CHF 33.15

-59.70%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.42 CHF 2.82

26.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.03 CHF 1.67

-28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.67 CHF 2.20

68.91%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.58 CHF 3.77

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.96 CHF 1.61

31.63%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.16 CHF 1.78

8.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.32 CHF 1.91

-23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.25 CHF 1.03

77.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$11.03 CHF 9.09

-10.43%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.25 CHF 10.91

13.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.26 CHF 1.86

29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.23 CHF 2.66

7.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.59 CHF 3.78

-67.54%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$96.8 CHF 79.7

-56.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$7.55 CHF 6.21

-63.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$4.50 CHF 3.71

-63.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$88.0 CHF 72.5

-59.90%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.26 CHF 1.86

-57.96%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

-6.79%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

-31.31%

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

$229 $229

$235 CHF 194

-2.71%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$36.06 CHF 29.70

64.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$65.3 CHF 53.8

7.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$88.1 CHF 72.6

-35.04%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$44.50 CHF 36.65

-63.30%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$21.90 CHF 18.04

-34.79%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,816 CHF 2,319

-46.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

-49.22%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$137 CHF 113

-61.58%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$59.2 CHF 48.77

-25.99%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$144 CHF 118

-40.96%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$174 CHF 143

-40.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,690 CHF 1,392

12.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,471 CHF 1,211

-13.38%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,831 CHF 2,332

29.43%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$4,065 CHF 3,348

-37.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

-51.76%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$11.9K CHF 9,812

-73.50%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$8,259 CHF 6,802

-38.00%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

1.72

294.77%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6% 15.4% $197

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Meilen

$570 16.9% 41% $166

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Meilen

$337 10% 6% $22

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Meilen

$486 14.4% 37.3% $132

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Meilen

$231 6.9% 80.7% $103

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Meilen

$132 3.9% 53.8% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Meilen

$145 4.3% 148% $87

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,690 in Meilen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 61% 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 $122 in Meilen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $570 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Meilen

🕒 Local time

05:30 5:30 AM

12:30 12:30 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

13,515

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Meilen 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Meilen

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 Meilen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Meilen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% lower in Meilen. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,690 in Meilen. 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 $3,372 in Meilen – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 132% less than in Meilen. 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 Meilen 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 27% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.