Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Recklinghausen and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Recklinghausen: $1,977 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

96

Cost of Living Index in Recklinghausen
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Recklinghausen Living Index
130

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

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Recklinghausen

🇩🇪 Germany

$1,977

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,977 in Recklinghausen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Recklinghausen $1,977
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,920 in Recklinghausen versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Recklinghausen $2,920
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,864 in Recklinghausen versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Recklinghausen $3,864
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Recklinghausen costs roughly 26% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Recklinghausen 46% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.33 €18.08

$20.77 $20.77

-2.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.1 €74.8

$84.6 $84.6

-0.59%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.18 €10.83

$12.32 $12.32

-1.14%

Cappuccino

$3.50 €3.11

$5.63 $5.63

-37.83%

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

$2.77 €2.46

$3.72 $3.72

-25.54%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 €1.94

$2.50 $2.50

-12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.70 €5.07

$8.05 $8.05

-29.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.27 €2.91

$9.01 $9.01

-63.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.25 €1.11

$1.12 $1.12

11.61%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 €1.95

$3.75 $3.75

-41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 €2.89

$3.26 $3.26

-0.31%

Eggs

$3.69 €3.29

$4.17 $4.17

-11.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$16.55 €14.72

$12.90 $12.90

28.29%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$11.45 €10.19

$14.16 $14.16

-19.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$24.18 €21.51

$16.22 $16.22

49.08%

Apples (1kg)

$3.21 €2.86

$4.33 $4.33

-25.87%

Banana (1kg)

$1.93 €1.71

$1.46 $1.46

32.19%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.21 €1.97

$4.51 $4.51

-51.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.00 €4.45

$4.34 $4.34

15.21%

Potato (1kg)

$1.32 €1.17

$2.58 $2.58

-48.84%

Onion (1kg)

$1.29 €1.15

$2.35 $2.35

-45.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 €1.60

$1.78 $1.78

1.12%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.16 €1.04

$2.22 $2.22

-47.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.56 €8.51

$9.88 $9.88

-3.24%

Wine (Bottle)

$6.51 €5.79

$15.08 $15.08

-56.83%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$0.98 €0.87

$2.92 $2.92

-66.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.65 €1.47

$3.46 $3.46

-52.31%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.52 €3.13

$1.49 $1.49

136.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$64.6 €57.5

$41.72 $41.72

54.89%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.25 €2.89

$2.73 $2.73

19.05%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$0.98 €0.87

$1.66 $1.66

-40.96%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.09 €30.32

$35.30 $35.30

-3.43%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 €1.95

$0.95 $0.95

130.53%

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

$30.9K €27.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-14.38%

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

$38.2K €34.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

41.18%

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

$378 €336

$229 $229

65.09%

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

$34.82 €30.98

$59.4 $59.4

-41.37%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.1 €47.22

$69.9 $69.9

-24.07%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$22.39 €19.92

$57.2 $57.2

-60.88%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.45 €13.74

$16.33 $16.33

-5.39%

Cinema Ticket

$10.52 €9.36

$14.28 $14.28

-26.33%

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

$464 €413

$1,506 $1,506

-69.18%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$9,389 €8,351

$21.5K $21.5K

-56.24%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$97.5 €86.7

$52.8 $52.8

84.53%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$33.85 €30.11

$43.82 $43.82

-22.75%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$110 €97.4

$84.8 $84.8

29.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$145 €129

$103 $103

40.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$643 €572

$1,907 $1,907

-66.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$559 €497

$1,274 $1,274

-56.12%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$986 €877

$3,664 $3,664

-73.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$838 €746

$2,538 $2,538

-66.97%

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)

$2,799 €2,490

$5,121 $5,121

-45.34%

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 Recklinghausen: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Recklinghausen

$559 28.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 128% $715

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Recklinghausen

$466 23.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 23.1% $108

Groceries & Markets

Recklinghausen

$352 17.8%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 14.9% $53

Eating Out

Recklinghausen

$296 15%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.6% $58

Clothing & Footwear

Recklinghausen

$174 8.8%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 26.2% $46

Getting Around

Recklinghausen

$87 4.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 32.4% $28

Sport & Entertainment

Recklinghausen

$43 2.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 97.5% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $643 in Recklinghausen and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 83% 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: $84.0 in Recklinghausen vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $352 vs $405 per month, with Recklinghausen cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇩🇪 Recklinghausen

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

19:26 7:26 PM

12:26 12:26 PM

7 h behind Recklinghausen

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

115,320

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

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

From you

Recklinghausen
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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

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

Recklinghausen wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Recklinghausen the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 83% 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: $643 in Recklinghausen 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 $1,977 per month in Recklinghausen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Recklinghausen runs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,977 in Recklinghausen versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Recklinghausen but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Recklinghausen 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, Recklinghausen 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 Recklinghausen gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.