Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Garland, TX and Essen

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.

128

Cost of Living Index in Garland, TX
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Garland, TX Living Index
96

Cost of Living Index in Essen
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Essen Living Index

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Garland, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,625

/mo nomad

Essen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,982

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

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

Garland, TX costs about 32% more than Essen, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.85 $19.85

$20.00 €17.79

-0.75%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$54.4 $54.4

$88.1 €78.4

-38.30%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.83 $9.83

$13.38 €11.90

-26.53%

Cappuccino

$5.52 $5.52

$3.88 €3.45

42.27%

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

$2.58 $2.58

$3.13 €2.78

-17.57%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.33 $2.33

$2.62 €2.33

-11.07%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.40 $5.40

$6.09 €5.42

-11.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.65 $7.65

$5.74 €5.11

33.28%

Milk (1 liter)

$0.93 $0.93

$1.21 €1.07

-23.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.77 $3.77

$2.18 €1.94

72.94%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$5.29 $5.29

$3.39 €3.02

56.05%

Eggs

$4.62 $4.62

$3.68 €3.27

25.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.56 $7.56

$16.14 €14.36

-53.16%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.71 $11.71

$10.50 €9.34

11.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$19.20 $19.20

$24.76 €22.02

-22.46%

Apples (1kg)

$5.47 $5.47

$3.37 €2.99

62.31%

Banana (1kg)

$1.29 $1.29

$2.09 €1.86

-38.28%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$2.25 €2.00

127.11%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 $4.20

$3.91 €3.48

7.42%

Potato (1kg)

$2.01 $2.01

$1.30 €1.16

54.62%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 $2.13

$1.28 €1.14

66.41%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.54 €1.37

35.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.20 €1.07

21.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.70 $9.70

$9.51 €8.45

2.00%

Wine (Bottle)

$11.17 $11.17

$5.60 €4.98

99.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.08 $2.08

$1.08 €0.96

92.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.35 $3.35

$1.50 €1.33

123.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.02 $3.02

$4.09 €3.64

-26.16%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.4 $96.4

$65.6 €58.4

46.94%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.07 $3.07

$4.93 €4.38

-37.73%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.75 $1.75

$3.49 €3.10

-49.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$24.19 $24.19

$39.38 €35.02

-38.57%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.91 $0.91

$2.19 €1.95

-58.45%

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

$36.1K $36.1K

$32.2K €28.6K

11.99%

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

$25.9K $25.9K

$38.4K €34.1K

-32.56%

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

$201 $201

$386 €344

-47.97%

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

$54.0 $54.0

$38.73 €34.45

39.50%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$80.3 $80.3

$40.40 €35.93

98.66%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$39.47 $39.47

$40.94 €36.41

-3.59%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.76 $16.76

$36.05 €32.06

-53.51%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 $14.80

$15.31 €13.62

-3.33%

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

$1,348 $1,348

$459 €408

193.49%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.3K $28.3K

$9,430 €8,387

200.57%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.8 $59.8

$96.6 €85.9

-38.10%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$29.10 $29.10

$82.1 €73.1

-64.57%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.4 $87.4

$110 €97.6

-20.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 $122

$156 €139

-21.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,494 $1,494

$637 €567

134.57%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$487 €433

161.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,295 $2,295

$1,404 €1,249

63.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,090 $2,090

$969 €862

115.59%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,247 $3,247

$4,704 €4,184

-30.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,942 $1,942

$3,045 €2,708

-36.24%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,670 $3,670

$2,999 €2,668

22.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.62

3.95

67.59%

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

Last update for Garland, TX: October 11, 2026

Last update for Essen: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Garland, TX

$1.3K 48.5%

Essen

$487 24.6% 61.8% $786

Groceries & Markets

Garland, TX

$377 14.4%

Essen

$342 17.3% 9.4% $36

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Garland, TX

$335 12.8%

Essen

$465 23.5% 38.8% $130

Eating Out

Garland, TX

$317 12.1%

Essen

$312 15.7% 1.5% $4.9

Clothing & Footwear

Garland, TX

$134 5.1%

Essen

$200 10.1% 49.1% $66

Getting Around

Garland, TX

$120 4.6%

Essen

$104 5.3% 13.3% $16

Sport & Entertainment

Garland, TX

$69 2.6%

Essen

$72 3.6% 3.6% $2.5

Cost Breakdown

A central one-bedroom costs $1,494 in Garland, TX versus $637 in Essen. 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 $54.0 in Garland, TX versus $88.0 in Essen. Groceries tell a different story – $377 in Garland, TX vs $342 in Essen – so Essen wins on supermarket bills even if dining out costs more.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Garland, TX

🇩🇪 Essen

🕒 Local time

06:06 6:06 AM

13:06 1:06 PM

7 h ahead of Garland, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

242,035

569,884

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Euro EUR €

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Garland, TX
Essen

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

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

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

For a comfortable life, plan on about $3,938 per month in Garland, TX and $2,972 in Essen. 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 $1,348 per month in Garland, TX and $459 in Essen. 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.