Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Žalec

For one person, living is cheaper in Žalec: $1,668 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $11,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
81

Cost of Living Index in Žalec
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Žalec Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Žalec

🇸🇮 Slovenia

$1,668

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,668 in Žalec.

Austin, TX $2,663
Žalec $1,668

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,408 in Žalec.

Austin, TX $4,133
Žalec $2,408

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,148 in Žalec.

Austin, TX $5,603
Žalec $3,148

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 60% more expensive than in Žalec, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Žalec 24% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$10.00 €8.89

107.70%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$40.77 €36.27

107.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$7.91 €7.03

55.75%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$1.93 €1.71

191.71%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.15 €2.80

18.10%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.69 €1.51

47.93%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$3.84 €3.41

109.64%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.82 €3.39

135.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.37 €1.21

-18.25%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.23 €1.98

68.16%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.82 €1.62

79.12%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.07 €3.62

2.46%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.11 €8.10

41.60%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.70 €8.62

45.98%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.04 €13.38

7.85%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$1.91 €1.70

126.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.59 €1.42

-8.18%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.95 €1.73

131.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.75 €2.44

57.82%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.03 €0.91

150.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$0.81 €0.72

190.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.36 €1.21

30.88%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.71 €0.63

212.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$6.12 €5.44

61.44%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$6.62 €5.89

127.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$1.39 €1.23

110.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$1.90 €1.69

82.11%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.39 €1.24

7.19%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$33.91 €30.17

23.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$1.94 €1.73

40.72%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.31 €1.16

26.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$18.74 €16.67

88.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.69 €1.50

-43.79%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.9K €25.7K

24.56%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.9K €22.1K

8.86%

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

$229 $229

$285 €254

-19.66%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$16.58 €14.75

258.20%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$28.32 €25.19

146.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$64.9 €57.7

-11.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$10.09 €8.97

41.53%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$651 €579

131.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$14.2K €12.6K

51.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$93.8 €83.4

-43.69%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$36.66 €32.61

19.53%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$110 €98.3

-23.26%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$123 €109

-16.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$709 €631

168.86%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$605 €538

110.58%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,178 €1,048

211.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,003 €892

153.19%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,312 €2,946

129.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,285 €2,922

-3.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$1,466 €1,304

249.25%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

3.56

90.73%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Žalec: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Žalec

$605 36.3% 52.5% $669

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Žalec

$264 15.8% 34.9% $141

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Žalec

$330 19.8% 7.9% $28

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Žalec

$173 10.4% 51.1% $181

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Žalec

$164 9.8% 27.8% $36

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Žalec

$85 5.1% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Žalec

$48 2.9% 18.2% $11

Cost Breakdown

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

Austin, TX pays 249% 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 $41.00 in Žalec for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $264 per month, with Žalec cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇸🇮 Žalec

🕒 Local time

00:56 12:56 AM

07:56 7:56 AM

7 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Austin, TX Žalec 9,170 km ≈ 12 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Žalec

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 Žalec: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Žalec wins on cost – living expenses run 60% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Žalec the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 249% 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 $709 in Žalec. 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 $1,668 in Žalec – a 60% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Žalec runs roughly 23% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,668 in Žalec versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Žalec but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Žalec 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 Žalec 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 Žalec gentler on the wallet – expenses run 60% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.