Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Essen and Garland, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Essen: $1,982 a month against $2,625 in Garland, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Essen
Learn more

Essen Living Index
128

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
Learn more

Garland, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Essen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,982

/mo nomad

Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Essen and in Garland, TX

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

A single person spends $1,982 per month in Essen vs $2,625 in Garland, TX, rent included.

Essen $1,982
Garland, TX $2,625

A couple spends around $3,088 per month in Essen vs $3,796 in Garland, TX, rent included.

Essen $3,088
Garland, TX $3,796

A family of three spends $4,195 per month in Essen vs $4,967 in Garland, TX, rent included.

Essen $4,195
Garland, TX $4,967

Essen is about 25% cheaper than Garland, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both Essen and Garland, TX sit above the global median – Essen by 47%, Garland, TX by 94%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.00 €17.79

$19.85 $19.85

0.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.1 €78.4

$54.4 $54.4

62.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$13.38 €11.90

$9.83 $9.83

36.11%

Cappuccino

$3.88 €3.45

$5.52 $5.52

-29.71%

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

$3.13 €2.78

$2.58 $2.58

21.32%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.62 €2.33

$2.33 $2.33

12.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.09 €5.42

$5.40 $5.40

12.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.74 €5.11

$7.65 $7.65

-24.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.21 €1.07

$0.93 $0.93

30.11%

White Bread (500g)

$2.18 €1.94

$3.77 $3.77

-42.18%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.39 €3.02

$5.29 $5.29

-35.92%

Eggs

$3.68 €3.27

$4.62 $4.62

-20.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.14 €14.36

$7.56 $7.56

113.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.50 €9.34

$11.71 $11.71

-10.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.76 €22.02

$19.20 $19.20

28.96%

Apples (1kg)

$3.37 €2.99

$5.47 $5.47

-38.39%

Banana (1kg)

$2.09 €1.86

$1.29 $1.29

62.02%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.25 €2.00

$5.11 $5.11

-55.97%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.91 €3.48

$4.20 $4.20

-6.90%

Potato (1kg)

$1.30 €1.16

$2.01 $2.01

-35.32%

Onion (1kg)

$1.28 €1.14

$2.13 $2.13

-39.91%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.54 €1.37

$2.08 $2.08

-25.96%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.20 €1.07

$1.46 $1.46

-17.81%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.51 €8.45

$9.70 $9.70

-1.96%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.60 €4.98

$11.17 $11.17

-49.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.08 $2.08

-48.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.50 €1.33

$3.35 $3.35

-55.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.09 €3.64

$3.02 $3.02

35.43%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.6 €58.4

$96.4 $96.4

-31.95%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.93 €4.38

$3.07 $3.07

60.59%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.49 €3.10

$1.75 $1.75

99.43%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.38 €35.02

$24.19 $24.19

62.79%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.91 $0.91

140.66%

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

$32.2K €28.6K

$36.1K $36.1K

-10.70%

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

$38.4K €34.1K

$25.9K $25.9K

48.29%

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

$386 €344

$201 $201

92.19%

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

$38.73 €34.45

$54.0 $54.0

-28.32%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$40.40 €35.93

$80.3 $80.3

-49.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.94 €36.41

$39.47 $39.47

3.72%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$36.05 €32.06

$16.76 $16.76

115.10%

Cinema Ticket

$15.31 €13.62

$14.80 $14.80

3.45%

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

$459 €408

$1,348 $1,348

-65.93%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,430 €8,387

$28.3K $28.3K

-66.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.6 €85.9

$59.8 $59.8

61.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$82.1 €73.1

$29.10 $29.10

182.27%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.6

$87.4 $87.4

25.60%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$156 €139

$122 $122

27.99%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$637 €567

$1,494 $1,494

-57.37%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$487 €433

$1,272 $1,272

-61.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,404 €1,249

$2,295 $2,295

-38.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$969 €862

$2,090 $2,090

-53.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,704 €4,184

$3,247 $3,247

44.88%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,045 €2,708

$1,942 $1,942

56.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,999 €2,668

$3,670 $3,670

-18.27%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.95

6.62

-40.33%

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

Last update for Essen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Garland, TX: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Essen

$487 24.6%

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.5% 161% $786

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Essen

$465 23.5%

Garland, TX

$335 12.8% 28% $130

Groceries & Markets

Essen

$342 17.3%

Garland, TX

$377 14.4% 10.4% $36

Eating Out

Essen

$312 15.7%

Garland, TX

$317 12.1% 1.6% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Essen

$200 10.1%

Garland, TX

$134 5.1% 32.9% $66

Getting Around

Essen

$104 5.3%

Garland, TX

$120 4.6% 15.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Essen

$72 3.6%

Garland, TX

$69 2.6% 3.5% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $637 in Essen versus $1,494 in Garland, TX. Rent is usually the largest line item in a monthly budget, so the gap here sets the tone for the overall comparison.

Salaries run about 22% higher in Garland, TX, which partly offsets the higher cost of living there. Purchasing power depends on which expenses matter most to you.

A mid-range dinner for two costs $88.0 in Essen versus $54.0 in Garland, TX. Groceries tell a different story – $342 in Essen vs $377 in Garland, TX – so Essen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Essen

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🕒 Local time

15:41 3:41 PM

08:41 8:41 AM

7 h behind Essen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

569,884

242,035

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Essen Garland, TX 8,060 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Essen
Garland, 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

Essen vs Garland, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Monthly costs with rent: $1,982 in Essen, $2,625 in Garland, TX – roughly 32% apart. Outside of rent, the biggest gap is in clothing.

For a comfortable life, plan on about $2,972 per month in Essen and $3,938 in Garland, TX. That covers rent, food, utilities, transport, and enough left over to feel settled – not just surviving.

Rent is clearly cheaper in Essen, especially for central apartments. Housing is actually the single biggest factor behind the overall cost gap between these two cities.

Public transport costs about 47% less in Essen. For daily commuters, that gap adds up to noticeable savings over a year.

Kindergarten costs $459 per month in Essen and $1,348 in Garland, TX. For families with young kids, this one expense can tip the scales when choosing between the two cities.

A $3,000 monthly budget goes further in Essen, where all-in costs run around $1,982, than in Garland, TX at $2,625. In Essen it covers expenses comfortably, while in Garland, TX it requires careful planning or may not stretch far enough.

Families tend to lean toward Essen – lower housing and cheaper childcare make a real difference, especially on a single income or when paying for private education.

Both have safer and rougher neighborhoods, but overall safety is comparable to other large cities. Neighborhood choice matters more than the city-level comparison – central, well-trafficked areas feel secure in both.

If budget matters most, go with Essen. If higher salaries, better infrastructure, or specific career opportunities are the priority, Garland, TX makes more sense. Both are solid long-term options with distinct trade-offs.