Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Gelsenkirchen and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Gelsenkirchen: $1,896 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

92

Cost of Living Index in Gelsenkirchen
Learn more

Gelsenkirchen Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Gelsenkirchen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,896

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,896 in Gelsenkirchen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Gelsenkirchen $1,896
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,788 in Gelsenkirchen versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Gelsenkirchen $2,788
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,680 in Gelsenkirchen versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Gelsenkirchen $3,680
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Gelsenkirchen costs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Gelsenkirchen 40% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.55 €12.05

$20.77 $20.77

-34.76%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$76.6 €68.1

$84.6 $84.6

-9.45%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.53 €9.36

$12.32 $12.32

-14.53%

Cappuccino

$4.39 €3.90

$5.63 $5.63

-22.02%

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

$4.00 €3.56

$3.72 $3.72

7.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.19 €2.84

$2.50 $2.50

27.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.41 €4.81

$8.05 $8.05

-32.80%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.87 €3.45

$9.01 $9.01

-57.05%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.28 €1.14

$1.12 $1.12

14.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.26 €2.01

$3.75 $3.75

-39.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.81 €3.39

$3.26 $3.26

16.87%

Eggs

$3.43 €3.05

$4.17 $4.17

-17.75%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.31 €12.73

$12.90 $12.90

10.93%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.81 €9.62

$14.16 $14.16

-23.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$23.90 €21.26

$16.22 $16.22

47.35%

Apples (1kg)

$3.35 €2.98

$4.33 $4.33

-22.63%

Banana (1kg)

$1.99 €1.77

$1.46 $1.46

36.30%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.19 €1.95

$4.51 $4.51

-51.44%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.33 €3.86

$4.34 $4.34

-0.23%

Potato (1kg)

$1.46 €1.29

$2.58 $2.58

-43.41%

Onion (1kg)

$1.15 €1.02

$2.35 $2.35

-51.06%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.69 €1.50

$1.78 $1.78

-5.06%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.79 €0.70

$2.22 $2.22

-64.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.53 €8.48

$9.88 $9.88

-3.54%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.51 €4.91

$15.08 $15.08

-63.46%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.08 €0.96

$2.92 $2.92

-63.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$3.46 $3.46

-57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.84 €3.42

$1.49 $1.49

157.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$70.7 €62.9

$41.72 $41.72

69.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.95 €4.40

$2.73 $2.73

81.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.25 €2.00

$1.66 $1.66

35.54%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$33.97 €30.21

$35.30 $35.30

-3.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.27 €2.02

$0.95 $0.95

138.95%

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

$30.2K €26.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-16.32%

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

$37.2K €33.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

37.46%

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

$395 €352

$229 $229

72.62%

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

$25.59 €22.77

$59.4 $59.4

-56.91%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$39.92 €35.51

$69.9 $69.9

-42.90%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$30.97 €27.55

$57.2 $57.2

-45.89%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.70 €24.64

$16.33 $16.33

69.63%

Cinema Ticket

$8.68 €7.72

$14.28 $14.28

-39.22%

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

$219 €195

$1,506 $1,506

-85.44%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K €16.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-13.21%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$96.9 €86.2

$52.8 $52.8

83.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$38.60 €34.34

$43.82 $43.82

-11.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$97.0 €86.2

$84.8 $84.8

14.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 €94.3

$103 $103

2.87%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$603 €536

$1,907 $1,907

-68.38%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$542 €482

$1,274 $1,274

-57.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,016 €904

$3,664 $3,664

-72.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$836 €744

$2,538 $2,538

-67.07%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$1,685 €1,498

$7,614 $7,614

-77.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,331 €1,184

$3,157 $3,157

-57.83%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,275 €2,024

$5,121 $5,121

-55.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

3.96

6.79

-41.68%

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

Last update for Gelsenkirchen: 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

Gelsenkirchen

$542 28.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 135% $732

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Gelsenkirchen

$461 24.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 22.2% $103

Groceries & Markets

Gelsenkirchen

$334 17.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 21% $70

Eating Out

Gelsenkirchen

$256 13.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 38.1% $98

Clothing & Footwear

Gelsenkirchen

$152 8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 16% $24

Getting Around

Gelsenkirchen

$102 5.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 42.6% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Gelsenkirchen

$48 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 77.5% $37

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $603 in Gelsenkirchen and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 125% 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: $77.0 in Gelsenkirchen vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $334 vs $405 per month, with Gelsenkirchen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Gelsenkirchen

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:43 4:43 PM

09:43 9:43 AM

7 h behind Gelsenkirchen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

270,107

974,447

💱 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

Gelsenkirchen Austin, TX 8,350 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Gelsenkirchen
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

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

Gelsenkirchen wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Gelsenkirchen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 125% 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: $603 in Gelsenkirchen 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 $1,896 per month in Gelsenkirchen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Gelsenkirchen runs roughly 69% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,896 in Gelsenkirchen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Gelsenkirchen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Gelsenkirchen 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, Gelsenkirchen 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 Gelsenkirchen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.