Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cologne and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cologne: $2,189 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Cologne
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Cologne Living Index
129

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

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Cologne

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,189

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Cologne 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 Cologne and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,189 in Cologne versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Cologne $2,189
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,383 in Cologne versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cologne $3,383
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,578 in Cologne versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Cologne $4,578
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Cologne costs roughly 19% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in utilities.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cologne 63% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.79 €14.98

$20.22 $20.22

-16.96%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.2 €76.0

$85.0 $85.0

0.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.56 €10.32

$12.35 $12.35

-6.40%

Cappuccino

$4.15 €3.70

$5.47 $5.47

-24.13%

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

$3.85 €3.43

$3.82 $3.82

0.79%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 €2.89

$2.50 $2.50

29.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.59 €4.98

$8.06 $8.06

-30.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 €5.06

$8.99 $8.99

-37.04%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.33 €1.19

$1.13 $1.13

17.70%

White Bread (500g)

$2.53 €2.26

$3.78 $3.78

-33.07%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.08 €2.75

$3.25 $3.25

-5.23%

Eggs

$3.58 €3.20

$4.14 $4.14

-13.53%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.33 €11.00

$13.08 $13.08

-5.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.16 €10.85

$14.31 $14.31

-15.02%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$22.82 €20.37

$15.96 $15.96

42.98%

Apples (1kg)

$2.94 €2.62

$4.38 $4.38

-32.88%

Banana (1kg)

$2.04 €1.82

$1.45 $1.45

40.69%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.57 €2.29

$4.54 $4.54

-43.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.97 €3.54

$4.19 $4.19

-5.25%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.30

$2.63 $2.63

-44.49%

Onion (1kg)

$1.19 €1.06

$2.36 $2.36

-49.58%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.57 €1.40

$1.76 $1.76

-10.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.16 $2.16

-47.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.60 €8.57

$9.81 $9.81

-2.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.79 €6.06

$14.72 $14.72

-53.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.26 €1.13

$2.78 $2.78

-54.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.77 €1.58

$3.48 $3.48

-49.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.99 €3.56

$1.49 $1.49

167.79%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$71.4 €63.7

$40.51 $40.51

76.20%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.62 €5.01

$2.67 $2.67

110.49%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.65 €2.37

$1.58 $1.58

67.72%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.41 €29.82

$35.29 $35.29

-5.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.33 €2.08

$0.99 $0.99

135.35%

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

$32.9K €29.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-8.20%

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

$37.7K €33.7K

$27.2K $27.2K

38.83%

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

$307 €274

$219 $219

39.84%

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

$12.77 €11.40

$58.0 $58.0

-77.98%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$37.38 €33.35

$68.4 $68.4

-45.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.67 €39.86

$57.9 $57.9

-22.85%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$34.39 €30.69

$14.82 $14.82

132.05%

Cinema Ticket

$15.94 €14.23

$14.13 $14.13

12.81%

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

$1,077 €961

$1,509 $1,509

-28.63%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.3K €19.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

3.76%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.9 €81.1

$51.7 $51.7

76.00%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$40.55 €36.18

$44.05 $44.05

-7.95%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$100 €89.3

$85.1 $85.1

17.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$133 €119

$105 $105

26.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,197 €1,068

$1,932 $1,932

-38.05%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$888 €793

$1,272 $1,272

-30.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 €2,212

$3,670 $3,670

-32.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,629 €1,453

$2,525 $2,525

-35.50%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,630 €6,809

$7,617 $7,617

0.17%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,172 €4,616

$3,199 $3,199

61.67%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,587 €3,201

$5,105 $5,105

-29.74%

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 Cologne: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cologne

$888 40.1%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 43.2% $384

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cologne

$357 16.1%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 3.1% $11

Groceries & Markets

Cologne

$339 15.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 19% $64

Eating Out

Cologne

$286 12.9%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 21.5% $62

Clothing & Footwear

Cologne

$164 7.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 21.5% $35

Getting Around

Cologne

$106 4.8%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 46.3% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Cologne

$77 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 12.5% $9.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,197 in Cologne and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 42% 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 Cologne vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $339 vs $403 per month, with Cologne cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Cologne

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:16 5:16 AM

22:16 10:16 PM

7 h behind Cologne

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

1,095,520

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

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Cologne Austin, TX 8,380 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cologne
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

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

Cologne wins on cost – living expenses run 24% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cologne the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 42% 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: $1,197 in Cologne versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,189 per month in Cologne versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 24% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cologne runs roughly 76% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,189 in Cologne versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Cologne but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cologne the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

Both work as nomad bases, but Cologne delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,189 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Cologne hard to pass up.

Safety-wise, Cologne 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 Cologne gentler on the wallet – expenses run 24% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.