Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mendrisio and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,034 in Mendrisio, rent and utilities included – about $4,500 less a year. The total is higher in Mendrisio despite lower rent and utilities.

148

Cost of Living Index in Mendrisio
Learn more

Mendrisio Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Mendrisio

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,034

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,034 in Mendrisio versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Mendrisio $3,034
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,758 in Mendrisio versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Mendrisio $3,758
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,483 in Mendrisio versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Mendrisio $4,483
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Mendrisio is roughly 14% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mendrisio 125% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$34.26 CHF 28.21

$20.77 $20.77

64.95%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$177 CHF 146

$84.6 $84.6

109.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.99 CHF 15.64

$12.32 $12.32

54.14%

Cappuccino

$4.80 CHF 3.96

$5.63 $5.63

-14.74%

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

$5.41 CHF 4.46

$3.72 $3.72

45.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.37 CHF 3.60

$2.50 $2.50

74.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.36 CHF 6.88

$8.05 $8.05

3.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.03 CHF 5.79

$9.01 $9.01

-21.98%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.18 CHF 1.80

$1.12 $1.12

94.64%

White Bread (500g)

$3.70 CHF 3.04

$3.75 $3.75

-1.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.15 CHF 3.42

$3.26 $3.26

27.30%

Eggs

$7.07 CHF 5.83

$4.17 $4.17

69.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$25.44 CHF 20.95

$12.90 $12.90

97.21%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$28.11 CHF 23.15

$14.16 $14.16

98.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$39.04 CHF 32.15

$16.22 $16.22

140.69%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 CHF 2.60

$4.33 $4.33

-27.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.70 CHF 1.40

$1.46 $1.46

16.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.56 CHF 2.11

$4.51 $4.51

-43.24%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.49 CHF 5.35

$4.34 $4.34

49.54%

Potato (1kg)

$1.84 CHF 1.52

$2.58 $2.58

-28.68%

Onion (1kg)

$2.13 CHF 1.76

$2.35 $2.35

-9.36%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.34 CHF 1.93

$1.78 $1.78

31.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 CHF 0.96

$2.22 $2.22

-47.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.74 CHF 8.84

$9.88 $9.88

8.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.64 CHF 12.06

$15.08 $15.08

-2.92%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.36 CHF 2.77

$2.92 $2.92

15.07%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.08 CHF 3.36

$3.46 $3.46

17.92%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.03 CHF 2.50

$1.49 $1.49

103.36%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$7.07 CHF 5.82

$2.73 $2.73

158.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$5.38 CHF 4.43

$1.66 $1.66

224.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$78.3 CHF 64.5

$35.30 $35.30

121.78%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.20 CHF 1.81

$0.95 $0.95

131.58%

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

$34.6K CHF 28.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-3.95%

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

$38.6K CHF 31.8K

$27.1K $27.1K

42.51%

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

$304 CHF 250

$229 $229

32.63%

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

$25.15 CHF 20.71

$59.4 $59.4

-57.65%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$48.38 CHF 39.85

$69.9 $69.9

-30.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.1 CHF 60.2

$57.2 $57.2

27.66%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$21.74 CHF 17.91

$14.28 $14.28

52.24%

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

$3,187 CHF 2,625

$1,506 $1,506

111.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$38.5K CHF 31.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

79.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$107 CHF 87.8

$52.8 $52.8

101.82%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$47.52 CHF 39.14

$43.82 $43.82

8.44%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$164 CHF 135

$84.8 $84.8

93.97%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$166 CHF 137

$103 $103

61.23%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,381 CHF 1,137

$1,907 $1,907

-27.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 CHF 987

$1,274 $1,274

-5.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

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)

$6,944 CHF 5,719

$5,121 $5,121

35.60%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

2.37

6.79

-65.10%

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

Last update for Mendrisio: 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

Mendrisio

$1.2K 39.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 6.3% $76

Groceries & Markets

Mendrisio

$594 19.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 31.9% $189

Eating Out

Mendrisio

$484 15.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 26.8% $130

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mendrisio

$377 12.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 5% $19

Clothing & Footwear

Mendrisio

$218 7.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 41.3% $90

Sport & Entertainment

Mendrisio

$117 3.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 26.4% $31

Getting Around

Mendrisio

$46 * 1.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 27.4% $13

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 $1,381 in Mendrisio and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Mendrisio pays 36% 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: $177 in Mendrisio vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $594 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Mendrisio

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

20:06 8:06 PM

13:06 1:06 PM

7 h behind Mendrisio

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

15,562

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

Mendrisio Austin, TX 8,800 km ≈ 11 h nonstop flight

From you

Mendrisio
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 14% lower than in Mendrisio. 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 36% higher in Mendrisio, 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: $1,381 in Mendrisio versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $3,187 in Mendrisio versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $177 in Mendrisio. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

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, Mendrisio 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 14% less than in Mendrisio. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.