Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ostend

For one person, living is cheaper in Ostend: $1,810 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,200 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
88

Cost of Living Index in Ostend
Learn more

Ostend Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ostend

🇧🇪 Belgium

$1,810

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,810 in Ostend.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ostend $1,810

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,702 in Ostend.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ostend $2,702

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,595 in Ostend.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ostend $3,595

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 47% more expensive than in Ostend, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ostend 34% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$22.10 €19.72

-6.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$79.1 €70.6

7.01%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$11.18 €9.98

10.20%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.09 €3.65

37.65%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.00 €2.67

24.00%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.52 €2.25

-0.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$4.40 €3.93

82.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$4.48 €4.00

101.12%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.21 €1.08

-7.44%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.69 €2.40

39.41%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.08 €1.86

56.73%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.73 €3.33

11.80%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$11.69 €10.43

10.35%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$11.77 €10.50

20.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.46 €12.01

20.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.83 €2.52

53.00%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.14 €1.91

-31.78%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.15 €1.92

109.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.32 €2.07

87.07%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.84 €1.64

40.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.71 €1.53

37.43%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.22 €1.08

45.90%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.92 €0.82

141.30%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.12 €9.04

-2.37%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.86 €6.12

119.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.10 €1.87

39.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.84 €1.64

88.04%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.39 €3.02

-56.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$38.31 €34.19

8.90%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.38 €3.01

-19.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$2.29 €2.05

-27.51%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$25.03 €22.34

41.03%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.95 €1.74

-51.28%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$34.6K €30.8K

4.33%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.6K €27.3K

-11.45%

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

$229 $229

$176 €157

30.43%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$18.08 €16.13

228.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$53.1 €47.39

31.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$36.39 €32.47

57.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$11.02 €9.84

48.19%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$14.36 €12.81

-0.56%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$391 €349

284.75%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$16.0K €14.3K

33.97%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$99.4 €88.7

-46.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$26.26 €23.44

66.87%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$87.8 €78.3

-3.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$120 €107

-14.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$792 €707

140.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$673 €600

89.44%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,245 €1,112

194.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$987 €881

157.14%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,674 €3,279

107.22%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$1,918 €1,712

64.60%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,097 €2,764

65.33%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.33

103.90%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Ostend: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ostend

$673 37.1% 47.2% $602

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ostend

$297 16.4% 26.7% $108

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ostend

$247 13.6% 31.1% $112

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ostend

$312 17.3% 11.7% $41

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ostend

$150 8.3% 17.3% $22

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ostend

$65 3.6% 24.1% $21

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ostend

$67 3.7% 13.7% $8

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $792 in Ostend. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 65% 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 Ostend for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $297 per month, with Ostend cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇧🇪 Ostend

🕒 Local time

01:27 1:27 AM

08:27 8:27 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

70,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Ostend 8,110 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ostend

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 Ostend: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ostend wins on cost – living expenses run 47% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ostend the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 65% 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 $792 in Ostend. 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 $1,810 in Ostend – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ostend runs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,810 in Ostend versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ostend but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ostend 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 Ostend 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 Ostend gentler on the wallet – expenses run 47% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.