Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Meilen and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,372 in Meilen, rent and utilities included – about $8,500 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

163

Cost of Living Index in Meilen
Learn more

Meilen Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Meilen

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,372

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,372 in Meilen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Meilen $3,372
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,942 in Meilen versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Meilen $5,942
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $8,512 in Meilen versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Meilen $8,512
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Meilen is roughly 27% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Meilen 150% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$32.47 CHF 26.74

$20.77 $20.77

56.33%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$122 CHF 101

$84.6 $84.6

44.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$16.33 CHF 13.45

$12.32 $12.32

32.55%

Cappuccino

$6.31 CHF 5.19

$5.63 $5.63

12.08%

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

$5.68 CHF 4.67

$3.72 $3.72

52.69%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.01 CHF 4.13

$2.50 $2.50

100.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.46 CHF 6.97

$8.05 $8.05

5.09%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.29 CHF 6.83

$9.01 $9.01

-7.99%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.21 CHF 1.82

$1.12 $1.12

97.32%

White Bread (500g)

$3.27 CHF 2.69

$3.75 $3.75

-12.80%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.78 CHF 3.11

$3.26 $3.26

15.95%

Eggs

$7.49 CHF 6.17

$4.17 $4.17

79.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$26.56 CHF 21.87

$12.90 $12.90

105.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$25.69 CHF 21.16

$14.16 $14.16

81.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$40.25 CHF 33.15

$16.22 $16.22

148.15%

Apples (1kg)

$3.42 CHF 2.82

$4.33 $4.33

-21.02%

Banana (1kg)

$2.03 CHF 1.67

$1.46 $1.46

39.04%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.67 CHF 2.20

$4.51 $4.51

-40.80%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.77

$4.34 $4.34

5.53%

Potato (1kg)

$1.96 CHF 1.61

$2.58 $2.58

-24.03%

Onion (1kg)

$2.16 CHF 1.78

$2.35 $2.35

-8.09%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 CHF 1.91

$1.78 $1.78

30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.25 CHF 1.03

$2.22 $2.22

-43.69%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$11.03 CHF 9.09

$9.88 $9.88

11.64%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.25 CHF 10.91

$15.08 $15.08

-12.14%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$2.92 $2.92

-22.60%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.23 CHF 2.66

$3.46 $3.46

-6.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.59 CHF 3.78

$1.49 $1.49

208.05%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$96.8 CHF 79.7

$41.72 $41.72

132.02%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.55 CHF 6.21

$2.73 $2.73

176.56%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$4.50 CHF 3.71

$1.66 $1.66

171.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$88.0 CHF 72.5

$35.30 $35.30

149.38%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.26 CHF 1.86

$0.95 $0.95

137.89%

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

$38.7K CHF 31.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

7.28%

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

$39.4K CHF 32.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

45.59%

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

$235 CHF 194

$229 $229

2.78%

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

$36.06 CHF 29.70

$59.4 $59.4

-39.28%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.3 CHF 53.8

$69.9 $69.9

-6.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$88.1 CHF 72.6

$57.2 $57.2

53.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$44.50 CHF 36.65

$16.33 $16.33

172.50%

Cinema Ticket

$21.90 CHF 18.04

$14.28 $14.28

53.36%

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

$2,816 CHF 2,319

$1,506 $1,506

86.97%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$42.3K CHF 34.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

96.94%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$137 CHF 113

$52.8 $52.8

160.29%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$59.2 CHF 48.77

$43.82 $43.82

35.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$144 CHF 118

$84.8 $84.8

69.38%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$174 CHF 143

$103 $103

68.69%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,690 CHF 1,392

$1,907 $1,907

-11.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,471 CHF 1,211

$1,274 $1,274

15.45%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,831 CHF 2,332

$3,664 $3,664

-22.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$4,065 CHF 3,348

$2,538 $2,538

60.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.8K CHF 13.0K

$7,614 $7,614

107.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$11.9K CHF 9,812

$3,157 $3,157

277.35%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$8,259 CHF 6,802

$5,121 $5,121

61.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

1.72

6.79

-74.67%

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

Last update for Meilen: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Meilen

$1.5K 43.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 13.4% $197

Groceries & Markets

Meilen

$570 16.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 29.1% $166

Eating Out

Meilen

$486 14.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 27.2% $132

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Meilen

$337 10%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 6.4% $22

Clothing & Footwear

Meilen

$231 6.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 44.7% $103

Getting Around

Meilen

$145 4.3%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 59.6% $87

Sport & Entertainment

Meilen

$132 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 35% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,690 in Meilen and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Meilen pays 61% 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: $122 in Meilen vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $570 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Meilen

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

14:32 2:32 PM

07:32 7:32 AM

7 h behind Meilen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

13,515

974,447

💱 Currency

Swiss Franc CHF Fr

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 CHF = 1.21 USD

1 CHF = 1.08 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to CHF – Swiss Franc Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇨🇭 Swiss Franc (Fr)

Swiss Franc exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 0.824 CHF (1 CHF = 1.21 USD). 1 EUR = 0.926 CHF (1 CHF = 1.08 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to CHF in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Meilen Austin, TX 8,690 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Meilen
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 27% lower than in Meilen. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 61% higher in Meilen, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,690 in Meilen 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 $3,372 per month in Meilen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 27% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 132% less than in Meilen. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Meilen 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 27% less than in Meilen. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.