Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ilmenau and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ilmenau: $2,071 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $7,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

100

Cost of Living Index in Ilmenau
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Ilmenau Living Index
130

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

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Ilmenau

🇩🇪 Germany

$2,071

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,071 in Ilmenau versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Ilmenau $2,071
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,525 in Ilmenau versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Ilmenau $2,525
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $2,980 in Ilmenau versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Ilmenau $2,980
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Ilmenau costs roughly 22% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ilmenau 53% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$10.96 €9.75

$20.77 $20.77

-47.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$66.5 €59.2

$84.6 $84.6

-21.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.27 €10.02

$12.32 $12.32

-8.52%

Cappuccino

$3.41 €3.04

$5.63 $5.63

-39.43%

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

$4.26 €3.79

$3.72 $3.72

14.52%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.97 €7.09

$2.50 $2.50

218.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.41 €3.92

$8.05 $8.05

-45.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.99 €4.44

$9.01 $9.01

-44.62%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 €1.01

$1.12 $1.12

0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 €1.90

$3.75 $3.75

-42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.24 €2.88

$3.26 $3.26

-0.61%

Eggs

$3.23 €2.87

$4.17 $4.17

-22.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$14.33 €12.75

$12.90 $12.90

11.09%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.24 €9.11

$14.16 $14.16

-27.68%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.76 €15.79

$16.22 $16.22

9.49%

Apples (1kg)

$2.87 €2.55

$4.33 $4.33

-33.72%

Banana (1kg)

$1.40 €1.24

$1.46 $1.46

-4.11%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.50 €3.11

$4.51 $4.51

-22.39%

Tomato (1kg)

$3.82 €3.40

$4.34 $4.34

-11.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 €1.88

$2.58 $2.58

-18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$1.36 €1.21

$2.35 $2.35

-42.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.63 €1.45

$1.78 $1.78

-8.43%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.88 €0.78

$2.22 $2.22

-60.36%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.22 €8.20

$9.88 $9.88

-6.68%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.22 €5.53

$15.08 $15.08

-58.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$1.11 €0.99

$2.92 $2.92

-61.99%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.48 €1.32

$3.46 $3.46

-57.23%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.3 €58.1

$41.72 $41.72

56.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.23 €4.65

$2.73 $2.73

91.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.21 €3.75

$1.66 $1.66

153.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.78 €38.94

$35.30 $35.30

24.02%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.14 €1.90

$0.95 $0.95

125.26%

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

$32.3K €28.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-10.51%

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

$37.8K €33.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

39.49%

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

$675 €600

$229 $229

194.70%

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

$27.38 €24.36

$59.4 $59.4

-53.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.08 €30.32

$69.9 $69.9

-51.25%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$48.13 €42.81

$57.2 $57.2

-15.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$13.20 €11.74

$14.28 $14.28

-7.56%

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

$454 €404

$1,506 $1,506

-69.84%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$93.0 €82.8

$52.8 $52.8

76.18%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$31.50 €28.02

$43.82 $43.82

-28.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 €107

$84.8 $84.8

42.43%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$113 €101

$103 $103

9.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$471 €419

$1,907 $1,907

-75.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$455 €404

$1,274 $1,274

-64.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$828 €737

$3,664 $3,664

-77.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,254 €2,894

$5,121 $5,121

-36.46%

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 Ilmenau: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ilmenau

$736 35.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 51.3% $378

Accommodation & Living

Ilmenau

$455 22%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 180% $820

Groceries & Markets

Ilmenau

$309 14.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 31% $96

Eating Out

Ilmenau

$243 11.8%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 45.4% $110

Clothing & Footwear

Ilmenau

$161 7.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 20.7% $33

Getting Around

Ilmenau

$92 * 4.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 35.9% $33

Sport & Entertainment

Ilmenau

$75 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 15.1% $11

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $471 in Ilmenau and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 57% 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: $67.0 in Ilmenau vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $405 per month, with Ilmenau cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Ilmenau

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:51 9:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

7 h behind Ilmenau

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

39,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Euro EUR €

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 EUR = 1.12 USD

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

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Between locations

Ilmenau Austin, TX 8,630 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

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Ilmenau
Austin, TX

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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

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

Ilmenau wins on cost – living expenses run 29% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ilmenau the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 57% 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: $471 in Ilmenau 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 $2,071 per month in Ilmenau versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 29% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ilmenau runs roughly 56% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,071 in Ilmenau versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Ilmenau but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ilmenau 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, Ilmenau 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 Ilmenau gentler on the wallet – expenses run 29% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.