Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cottbus and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cottbus: $1,502 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

73

Cost of Living Index in Cottbus
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Cottbus Living Index
130

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

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Cottbus

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,502

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,502 in Cottbus versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Cottbus $1,502
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,357 in Cottbus versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cottbus $2,357
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,212 in Cottbus versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Cottbus $3,212
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Cottbus costs roughly 44% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Cottbus 11% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.70 €14.89

$20.77 $20.77

-19.60%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$78.8 €70.3

$84.6 $84.6

-6.83%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.86 €9.68

$12.32 $12.32

-11.85%

Cappuccino

$2.49 €2.22

$5.63 $5.63

-55.77%

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

$2.46 €2.20

$3.72 $3.72

-33.87%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.04 €2.71

$2.50 $2.50

21.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$2.75 €2.45

$8.05 $8.05

-65.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.36 €3.00

$9.01 $9.01

-62.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.23 €1.10

$1.12 $1.12

9.82%

White Bread (500g)

$2.02 €1.80

$3.75 $3.75

-46.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 €1.22

$3.26 $3.26

-57.98%

Eggs

$3.32 €2.96

$4.17 $4.17

-20.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.94 €11.54

$12.90 $12.90

0.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.12 €9.92

$14.16 $14.16

-21.47%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 €17.12

$16.22 $16.22

18.37%

Apples (1kg)

$2.96 €2.64

$4.33 $4.33

-31.64%

Banana (1kg)

$1.94 €1.73

$1.46 $1.46

32.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.03 €1.81

$4.51 $4.51

-54.99%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.64 €3.25

$4.34 $4.34

-16.13%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.18

$2.58 $2.58

-48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.23 €1.10

$2.35 $2.35

-47.66%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.48 €1.32

$1.78 $1.78

-16.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.02 €0.91

$2.22 $2.22

-54.05%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.14 €8.15

$9.88 $9.88

-7.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.46 €4.87

$15.08 $15.08

-63.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.07 €0.95

$2.92 $2.92

-63.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.54 €1.37

$3.46 $3.46

-55.49%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.10 €2.77

$1.49 $1.49

108.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$49.18 €43.85

$41.72 $41.72

17.88%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.81 €3.39

$2.73 $2.73

39.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.88 €1.67

$1.66 $1.66

13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.99 €24.06

$35.30 $35.30

-23.54%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.00 €1.78

$0.95 $0.95

110.53%

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

$33.2K €29.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

-7.81%

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

$38.1K €33.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

40.60%

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

$174 €155

$229 $229

-24.00%

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

$15.05 €13.41

$59.4 $59.4

-74.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$44.12 €39.34

$69.9 $69.9

-36.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.73 €34.53

$57.2 $57.2

-32.34%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.60 €14.80

$16.33 $16.33

1.65%

Cinema Ticket

$13.47 €12.01

$14.28 $14.28

-5.67%

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

$283 €253

$1,506 $1,506

-81.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.9K €11.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

-39.82%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$56.0 €49.95

$52.8 $52.8

6.08%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.86 €24.84

$43.82 $43.82

-36.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$72.8 €64.9

$84.8 $84.8

-14.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$71.2 €63.5

$103 $103

-30.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$593 €528

$1,907 $1,907

-68.92%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €434

$1,274 $1,274

-61.79%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,146 €1,022

$3,664 $3,664

-68.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$839 €748

$2,538 $2,538

-66.95%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,557 €2,280

$7,614 $7,614

-66.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,976 €1,762

$3,157 $3,157

-37.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$1,659 €1,480

$5,121 $5,121

-67.59%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.2

6.79

-52.87%

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

Last update for Cottbus: 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

Cottbus

$487 32.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 162% $787

Groceries & Markets

Cottbus

$300 20%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 34.9% $105

Eating Out

Cottbus

$239 15.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 48.3% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cottbus

$233 15.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 53.6% $125

Clothing & Footwear

Cottbus

$103 6.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 24.8% $25

Getting Around

Cottbus

$75 5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 21.5% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Cottbus

$66 4.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 30.6% $20

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $593 in Cottbus and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 209% 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 Cottbus vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $300 vs $405 per month, with Cottbus cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Cottbus

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:26 9:26 AM

02:26 2:26 AM

7 h behind Cottbus

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

101,036

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

Cottbus Austin, TX 8,760 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Cottbus
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

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

Cottbus wins on cost – living expenses run 77% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cottbus the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 209% 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: $593 in Cottbus 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 $1,502 per month in Cottbus versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 77% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cottbus runs roughly 18% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,502 in Cottbus versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $1,500 budget is realistic in Cottbus but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Cottbus 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, Cottbus 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 Cottbus gentler on the wallet – expenses run 77% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.