Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dortmund and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Dortmund: $2,033 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Dortmund
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Dortmund Living Index
129

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

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Dortmund

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,033

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,033 in Dortmund versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Dortmund $2,033
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,086 in Dortmund versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Dortmund $3,086
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,140 in Dortmund versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Dortmund $4,140
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Dortmund costs roughly 25% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dortmund 52% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.71 €14.92

$20.22 $20.22

-17.36%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$79.2 €70.7

$85.0 $85.0

-6.86%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 €10.82

$12.35 $12.35

-1.86%

Cappuccino

$3.82 €3.41

$5.47 $5.47

-30.16%

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

$2.99 €2.67

$3.82 $3.82

-21.73%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.87 €2.56

$2.50 $2.50

14.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.74 €5.12

$8.06 $8.06

-28.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.97 €4.43

$8.99 $8.99

-44.72%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.40 €1.25

$1.13 $1.13

23.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.35 €2.10

$3.78 $3.78

-37.83%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 €3.37

$3.25 $3.25

16.31%

Eggs

$3.75 €3.35

$4.14 $4.14

-9.42%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$15.55 €13.88

$13.08 $13.08

18.88%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.72 €10.46

$14.31 $14.31

-18.10%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.53 €21.00

$15.96 $15.96

47.43%

Apples (1kg)

$3.38 €3.02

$4.38 $4.38

-22.83%

Banana (1kg)

$2.28 €2.03

$1.45 $1.45

57.24%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.20 €1.96

$4.54 $4.54

-51.54%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.10 €3.66

$4.19 $4.19

-2.15%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.63 $2.63

-50.57%

Onion (1kg)

$1.62 €1.45

$2.36 $2.36

-31.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.62 €1.44

$1.76 $1.76

-7.95%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.09 €0.97

$2.16 $2.16

-49.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.47 €8.45

$9.81 $9.81

-3.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.78 €6.05

$14.72 $14.72

-53.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.13 €1.01

$2.78 $2.78

-59.35%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.70 €1.52

$3.48 $3.48

-51.15%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.00 €3.57

$1.49 $1.49

168.46%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$66.3 €59.2

$40.51 $40.51

63.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.45 €4.87

$2.67 $2.67

104.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.86 €2.55

$1.58 $1.58

81.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.34 €32.43

$35.29 $35.29

2.98%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.09 €1.87

$0.99 $0.99

111.11%

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

$33.5K €29.9K

$35.8K $35.8K

-6.30%

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

$39.0K €34.8K

$27.2K $27.2K

43.53%

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

$399 €356

$219 $219

82.10%

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

$30.53 €27.25

$58.0 $58.0

-47.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$50.7 €45.21

$68.4 $68.4

-25.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.59 €34.44

$57.9 $57.9

-33.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.25 €24.32

$14.82 $14.82

83.87%

Cinema Ticket

$16.57 €14.79

$14.13 $14.13

17.27%

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

$408 €364

$1,509 $1,509

-72.98%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.7K €24.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

29.12%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$90.5 €80.8

$51.7 $51.7

75.22%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$51.3 €45.78

$44.05 $44.05

16.46%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.7 €78.3

$85.1 $85.1

3.09%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$175 €157

$105 $105

66.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$718 €641

$1,932 $1,932

-62.82%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$586 €523

$1,272 $1,272

-53.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,302 €1,162

$3,670 $3,670

-64.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,094 €976

$2,525 $2,525

-56.67%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,056 €2,728

$7,617 $7,617

-59.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,289 €2,043

$3,199 $3,199

-28.45%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,170 €2,829

$5,105 $5,105

-37.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

6.79

-41.83%

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

Last update for Dortmund: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dortmund

$586 28.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 117% $687

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dortmund

$480 23.4%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 28.1% $135

Groceries & Markets

Dortmund

$353 17.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 14.2% $50

Eating Out

Dortmund

$278 13.5%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 25.2% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Dortmund

$182 8.9%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 29.3% $53

Getting Around

Dortmund

$102 5%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 44.2% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Dortmund

$72 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 20.1% $14

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $718 in Dortmund and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 61% 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 Dortmund vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $403 per month, with Dortmund cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Dortmund

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:28 8:28 AM

01:28 1:28 AM

7 h behind Dortmund

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

600,933

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

Dortmund Austin, TX 8,370 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Dortmund
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

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

Dortmund wins on cost – living expenses run 33% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dortmund the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 61% 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: $718 in Dortmund 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 $2,033 per month in Dortmund versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 33% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dortmund runs roughly 64% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,033 in Dortmund versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Dortmund but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dortmund 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, Dortmund 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 Dortmund gentler on the wallet – expenses run 33% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.