Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Riehen

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,372 in Riehen, 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
164

Cost of Living Index in Riehen
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Riehen Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Riehen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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 Riehen 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 Riehen.

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

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,084 in Riehen.

Austin, TX $4,133
Riehen $5,084

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,797 in Riehen.

Austin, TX $5,603
Riehen $6,797

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$29.55 CHF 24.34

-29.71%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$120 CHF 98.5

-29.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$15.72 CHF 12.94

-21.63%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.21 CHF 5.11

-9.34%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$4.98 CHF 4.10

-25.30%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$5.26 CHF 4.33

-52.47%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.15 CHF 5.89

12.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.57 CHF 5.41

37.14%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.13 CHF 1.75

-47.42%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.14 CHF 2.59

19.43%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$3.51 CHF 2.89

-7.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.13 CHF 5.87

-41.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$24.83 CHF 20.45

-48.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$24.86 CHF 20.48

-43.04%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$37.07 CHF 30.53

-56.24%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.52 CHF 2.90

23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.61 CHF 1.33

-9.32%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.51 CHF 2.07

79.68%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.36 CHF 3.59

-0.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.78 CHF 1.46

44.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.09 CHF 1.72

12.44%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-18.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.23 CHF 1.02

80.49%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.91 CHF 8.99

-9.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.39 CHF 8.56

45.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.48 CHF 2.87

-16.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.32 CHF 1.91

49.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.45 CHF 3.67

-66.52%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$98.6 CHF 81.2

-57.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$9.84 CHF 8.11

-72.26%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$4.02 CHF 3.31

-58.71%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-52.01%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.18 CHF 1.80

-56.42%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$41.5K CHF 34.1K

-13.06%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.3K CHF 32.3K

-31.03%

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

$229 $229

$339 CHF 280

-32.54%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$41.49 CHF 34.17

43.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.6 CHF 46.59

23.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$88.7 CHF 73.1

-35.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$45.01 CHF 37.07

-63.72%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$21.40 CHF 17.63

-33.27%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,786 CHF 1,471

-15.67%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$36.6K CHF 30.2K

-41.43%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$102 CHF 84.0

-48.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$57.0 CHF 46.94

-23.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$165 CHF 136

-48.70%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$183 CHF 151

-43.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,680 CHF 1,384

13.53%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,440 CHF 1,186

-11.50%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$3,422 CHF 2,819

7.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,418 CHF 1,992

4.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$15.7K CHF 12.9K

-51.40%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$12.0K CHF 9,867

-73.65%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$8,642 CHF 7,118

-40.75%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

2.31

193.94%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Riehen: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Riehen

$1.4K 42.7% 13% $166

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Riehen

$540 16% 33.5% $136

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Riehen

$438 13% 22.1% $79

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Riehen

$448 13.3% 26.6% $94

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Riehen

$228 6.8% 78.4% $100

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Riehen

$132 3.9% 53.3% $46

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Riehen

$146 4.3% 149% $88

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,680 in Riehen. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Riehen pays 69% 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 $120 in Riehen for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $540 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Riehen

🕒 Local time

11:44 11:44 AM

18:44 6:44 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,970

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 18, 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 Riehen 8,610 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Riehen

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 Riehen: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Riehen. 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 69% lower in Riehen. 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 $1,680 in Riehen. 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 Riehen – 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 136% less than in Riehen. 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 work as nomad bases, but Austin, TX delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,663 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Austin, TX hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Riehen 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 Riehen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.