Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Bochum and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Bochum: $1,806 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Bochum
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Bochum Living Index
130

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

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Bochum

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,806

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Bochum and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,806 in Bochum versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Bochum $1,806
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,869 in Bochum versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Bochum $2,869
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,933 in Bochum versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Bochum $3,933
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Bochum costs roughly 32% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.55 €14.76

$20.77 $20.77

-20.32%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 €70.6

$84.6 $84.6

-6.40%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.43 €11.08

$12.32 $12.32

0.89%

Cappuccino

$4.16 €3.71

$5.63 $5.63

-26.11%

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

$3.17 €2.83

$3.72 $3.72

-14.78%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.00 €2.67

$2.50 $2.50

20.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.73 €5.11

$8.05 $8.05

-28.82%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.15 €4.60

$9.01 $9.01

-42.84%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.08

$1.12 $1.12

8.04%

White Bread (500g)

$2.36 €2.11

$3.75 $3.75

-37.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.65 €3.26

$3.26 $3.26

11.96%

Eggs

$3.67 €3.27

$4.17 $4.17

-11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.61 €13.02

$12.90 $12.90

13.26%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.42 €11.07

$14.16 $14.16

-12.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.25 €20.73

$16.22 $16.22

43.34%

Apples (1kg)

$3.31 €2.95

$4.33 $4.33

-23.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.02 €1.80

$1.46 $1.46

38.36%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.13 €1.90

$4.51 $4.51

-52.77%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.02 €3.58

$4.34 $4.34

-7.37%

Potato (1kg)

$1.33 €1.18

$2.58 $2.58

-48.45%

Onion (1kg)

$1.22 €1.09

$2.35 $2.35

-48.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.55 €1.38

$1.78 $1.78

-12.92%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.97

$2.22 $2.22

-51.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.67 €8.62

$9.88 $9.88

-2.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.54 €5.83

$15.08 $15.08

-56.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.91 €0.81

$2.92 $2.92

-68.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.63 €1.45

$3.46 $3.46

-52.89%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.80 €3.39

$1.49 $1.49

155.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.0 €58.0

$41.72 $41.72

55.78%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.55 €4.95

$2.73 $2.73

103.30%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.72 €2.43

$1.66 $1.66

63.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.12 €30.42

$35.30 $35.30

-3.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.06 €1.84

$0.95 $0.95

116.84%

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

$32.2K €28.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.64%

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

$38.5K €34.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

42.32%

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

$324 €289

$229 $229

41.68%

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

$30.22 €26.95

$59.4 $59.4

-49.12%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$36.16 €32.24

$69.9 $69.9

-48.28%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.24 €26.96

$57.2 $57.2

-47.17%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$26.57 €23.69

$16.33 $16.33

62.71%

Cinema Ticket

$16.45 €14.67

$14.28 $14.28

15.20%

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

$400 €357

$1,506 $1,506

-73.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.9K €19.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

1.84%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 €79.4

$52.8 $52.8

68.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$41.59 €37.09

$43.82 $43.82

-5.09%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$95.7 €85.4

$84.8 $84.8

12.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 €120

$103 $103

30.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$805 €717

$1,907 $1,907

-57.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$463 €412

$1,274 $1,274

-63.70%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 €1,151

$3,664 $3,664

-64.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,014 €904

$2,538 $2,538

-60.04%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,951 €3,523

$7,614 $7,614

-48.10%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,240 €3,781

$3,157 $3,157

34.31%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,674 €2,385

$5,121 $5,121

-47.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.83

6.79

-43.59%

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

Last update for Bochum: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Bochum

$463 25.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 176% $812

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Bochum

$391 21.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 8.3% $33

Groceries & Markets

Bochum

$345 19.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 17.4% $60

Eating Out

Bochum

$283 15.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 25% $71

Clothing & Footwear

Bochum

$162 9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 21.2% $34

Getting Around

Bochum

$99 5.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 40.9% $41

Sport & Entertainment

Bochum

$63 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 35.9% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $805 in Bochum and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 91% 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: $79.0 in Bochum vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $345 vs $405 per month, with Bochum cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Bochum

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:37 8:37 AM

01:37 1:37 AM

7 h behind Bochum

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

371,075

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Bochum Austin, TX 8,360 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Bochum
Austin, TX

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

Bochum vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Bochum 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 Bochum the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 91% lower in Austin, TX. 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: $805 in Bochum versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $1,806 per month in Bochum versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 47% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Bochum runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,806 in Bochum versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Bochum but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Bochum 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, Bochum and Austin, TX 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 Bochum 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.