Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Uster

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,689 in Uster, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
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Uster Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $3,689 in Uster.

Austin, TX $2,663
Uster $3,689

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $5,289 in Uster.

Austin, TX $4,133
Uster $5,289

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $6,889 in Uster.

Austin, TX $5,603
Uster $6,889

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 28% less than in Uster, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Uster 173% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$30.11 CHF 24.80

-31.02%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$120 CHF 98.7

-29.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$18.34 CHF 15.10

-32.82%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$6.04 CHF 4.97

-6.79%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$5.33 CHF 4.39

-30.21%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$4.79 CHF 3.95

-47.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.59 CHF 7.08

-6.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.73 CHF 5.54

33.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.23 CHF 1.83

-49.78%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.34 CHF 2.75

12.28%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$4.39 CHF 3.61

-25.74%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$7.35 CHF 6.05

-43.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$32.17 CHF 26.49

-59.90%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$29.34 CHF 24.17

-51.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$42.64 CHF 35.12

-61.96%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.44 CHF 2.84

25.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.10 CHF 1.73

-30.48%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.81 CHF 2.31

60.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.58 CHF 3.78

-5.24%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.04 CHF 1.68

26.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.18 CHF 1.79

7.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.43 CHF 2.00

-26.75%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.33 CHF 1.10

66.92%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$10.65 CHF 8.77

-7.23%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.97 CHF 10.69

16.27%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.25 CHF 2.68

-10.15%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.34 CHF 2.75

3.59%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.60 CHF 3.79

-67.61%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$99.8 CHF 82.2

-58.19%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$5.46 CHF 4.50

-50.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$3.28 CHF 2.70

-49.39%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$59.4 CHF 48.94

-40.59%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$2.19 CHF 1.80

-56.62%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

-16.69%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

-31.84%

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

$229 $229

$233 CHF 192

-1.70%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$31.89 CHF 26.26

86.23%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$65.4 CHF 53.8

6.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$73.6 CHF 60.6

-22.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$45.51 CHF 37.49

-64.12%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$21.75 CHF 17.92

-34.34%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,802 CHF 1,484

-16.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

-34.10%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$164 CHF 135

-67.89%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$86.4 CHF 71.1

-49.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$143 CHF 118

-40.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$173 CHF 142

-40.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,678 CHF 1,382

13.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,759 CHF 1,448

-27.55%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,928 CHF 2,412

25.14%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,382 CHF 1,962

6.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

-52.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$12.1K CHF 9,993

-73.98%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$6,850 CHF 5,642

-25.25%

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 Uster: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Uster

$1.8K 47.7% 38% $484

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Uster

$623 16.9% 53.9% $218

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Uster

$330 9% 7.8% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Uster

$465 12.6% 31.5% $111

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Uster

$255 6.9% 99.3% $127

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Uster

$117 3.2% 36.5% $31

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Uster

$140 3.8% 139% $81

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,678 in Uster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 34% 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 Uster for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $623 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇨🇭 Uster

🕒 Local time

11:13 11:13 AM

18:13 6:13 PM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

33,097

💱 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 Uster 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Uster

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 Uster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Uster. 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 34% lower in Uster. 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 $1,678 in Uster. 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 $3,689 in Uster – a 39% 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 Uster. 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 Uster 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 39% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.