Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Frankfurt and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Frankfurt and in Austin, TX: $2,539 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

Frankfurt
🇩🇪 Germany
$2,539
/mo nomad
Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

  • Frankfurt $2,539
  • Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,762 in Frankfurt versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

  • Frankfurt $3,762
  • Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,984 in Frankfurt versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

  • Frankfurt $4,984
  • Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Frankfurt costs roughly 5% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Frankfurt 88% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$16.72 €14.87
$20.77 $20.77
-19.50%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$88.4 €78.7
$84.6 $84.6
4.55%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$13.36 €11.88
$12.32 $12.32
8.44%
Cappuccino
$4.54 €4.04
$5.63 $5.63
-19.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.69 €3.28
$3.72 $3.72
-0.81%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.60 €3.21
$2.50 $2.50
44.00%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$5.55 €4.94
$8.05 $8.05
-31.06%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$5.73 €5.09
$9.01 $9.01
-36.40%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.34 €1.20
$1.12 $1.12
19.64%
White Bread (500g)
$2.21 €1.96
$3.75 $3.75
-41.07%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$2.98 €2.65
$3.26 $3.26
-8.59%
Eggs
$3.85 €3.42
$4.17 $4.17
-7.67%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$13.65 €12.14
$12.90 $12.90
5.81%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$11.78 €10.48
$14.16 $14.16
-16.81%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$21.85 €19.43
$16.22 $16.22
34.71%
Apples (1kg)
$3.08 €2.74
$4.33 $4.33
-28.87%
Banana (1kg)
$2.09 €1.86
$1.46 $1.46
43.15%
Oranges (1kg)
$1.91 €1.70
$4.51 $4.51
-57.65%
Tomato (1kg)
$3.90 €3.47
$4.34 $4.34
-10.14%
Potato (1kg)
$1.80 €1.60
$2.58 $2.58
-30.23%
Onion (1kg)
$1.93 €1.71
$2.35 $2.35
-17.87%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.57 €1.39
$1.78 $1.78
-11.80%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$0.99 €0.88
$2.22 $2.22
-55.41%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.54 €8.48
$9.88 $9.88
-3.44%
Wine (Bottle)
$5.47 €4.87
$15.08 $15.08
-63.73%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$1.16 €1.03
$2.92 $2.92
-60.27%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$1.40 €1.25
$3.46 $3.46
-59.54%
🚌 Getting Around
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$4.15 €3.69
$1.49 $1.49
178.52%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$69.2 €61.6
$41.72 $41.72
65.96%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$4.48 €3.99
$2.73 $2.73
64.10%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$2.18 €1.94
$1.66 $1.66
31.33%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$23.71 €21.09
$35.30 $35.30
-32.83%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$2.30 €2.05
$0.95 $0.95
142.11%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$32.7K €29.1K
$36.0K $36.0K
-9.29%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$38.2K €33.9K
$27.1K $27.1K
40.96%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$394 €351
$229 $229
72.18%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$19.53 €17.38
$59.4 $59.4
-67.12%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$47.62 €42.36
$69.9 $69.9
-31.88%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$67.9 €60.4
$57.2 $57.2
18.61%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$28.82 €25.64
$16.33 $16.33
76.48%
Cinema Ticket
$16.62 €14.78
$14.28 $14.28
16.39%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,068 €950
$1,506 $1,506
-29.09%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$22.9K €20.4K
$21.5K $21.5K
6.77%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$84.8 €75.4
$52.8 $52.8
60.58%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$33.61 €29.90
$43.82 $43.82
-23.30%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$83.7 €74.5
$84.8 $84.8
-1.23%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$105 €93.0
$103 $103
1.48%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,345 €1,196
$1,907 $1,907
-29.50%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,111 €988
$1,274 $1,274
-12.84%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$2,720 €2,420
$3,664 $3,664
-25.77%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,936 €1,722
$2,538 $2,538
-23.71%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,856 €6,988
$7,614 $7,614
3.18%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$4,296 €3,822
$3,157 $3,157
36.08%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Frankfurt
Austin, TX
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$3,979 €3,539
$5,121 $5,121
-22.30%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
3.61
6.79
-46.83%

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

Last update for Frankfurt: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Frankfurt
$1.1K
Austin, TX
$1.3K 14.7% $164
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Frankfurt
$461
Austin, TX
$358 22.4% $103
Groceries & Markets
Frankfurt
$330
Austin, TX
$405 22.5% $74
Eating Out
Frankfurt
$297
Austin, TX
$354 19.3% $57
Clothing & Footwear
Frankfurt
$138
Austin, TX
$128 7.3% $10
Getting Around
Frankfurt
$101
Austin, TX
$59 42% $43
Sport & Entertainment
Frankfurt
$101
Austin, TX
$86 15.2% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,345 in Frankfurt and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 29% 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: $88.0 in Frankfurt vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $330 vs $405, with Frankfurt cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇩🇪 Frankfurt
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🕒 Local time
06:20 6:20 AM
23:20 11:20 PM
7 h behind Frankfurt
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
701,350
974,447
💱 Currency
Euro EUR €
Exchange rates and currency converter

USD to EUR – Euro Converter

Euro exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 0.889 EUR (1 EUR = 1.12 USD).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Frankfurt Austin, TX 8,530 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Frankfurt
  • 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
Frankfurt vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Frankfurt or Austin, TX?
Frankfurt wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Frankfurt the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Frankfurt or in Austin, TX?
On paper, salaries run 29% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Frankfurt compared to Austin, TX?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,345 in Frankfurt versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Frankfurt compared to Austin, TX?
All in, you'll spend $2,539 per month in Frankfurt versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Frankfurt compared to Austin, TX?
A monthly transit pass in Frankfurt runs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Frankfurt or in Austin, TX?
At $2,539 in Frankfurt versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Frankfurt but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Frankfurt the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city is better for digital nomads, Frankfurt or Austin, TX?
Both work as nomad bases, but Frankfurt delivers better value – similar infrastructure at $2,539 monthly. If stretching your runway or maximizing savings is the goal, the price difference makes Frankfurt hard to pass up.
How safe is Frankfurt compared to Austin, TX?
Safety-wise, Frankfurt 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.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Frankfurt gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

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