Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Uster and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,689 in Uster, rent and utilities included – about $12,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

178

Cost of Living Index in Uster
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Uster Living Index
130

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

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Uster

🇨🇭 Switzerland

$3,689

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,689 in Uster versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Uster $3,689
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $5,289 in Uster versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Uster $5,289
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,889 in Uster versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Uster $6,889
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Uster is roughly 39% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Uster 173% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$30.11 CHF 24.80

$20.77 $20.77

44.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$120 CHF 98.7

$84.6 $84.6

41.62%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$18.34 CHF 15.10

$12.32 $12.32

48.86%

Cappuccino

$6.04 CHF 4.97

$5.63 $5.63

7.28%

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

$5.33 CHF 4.39

$3.72 $3.72

43.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.79 CHF 3.95

$2.50 $2.50

91.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.59 CHF 7.08

$8.05 $8.05

6.71%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.73 CHF 5.54

$9.01 $9.01

-25.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.23 CHF 1.83

$1.12 $1.12

99.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.34 CHF 2.75

$3.75 $3.75

-10.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.39 CHF 3.61

$3.26 $3.26

34.66%

Eggs

$7.35 CHF 6.05

$4.17 $4.17

76.26%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$32.17 CHF 26.49

$12.90 $12.90

149.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$29.34 CHF 24.17

$14.16 $14.16

107.20%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$42.64 CHF 35.12

$16.22 $16.22

162.89%

Apples (1kg)

$3.44 CHF 2.84

$4.33 $4.33

-20.55%

Banana (1kg)

$2.10 CHF 1.73

$1.46 $1.46

43.84%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.81 CHF 2.31

$4.51 $4.51

-37.69%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.58 CHF 3.78

$4.34 $4.34

5.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.04 CHF 1.68

$2.58 $2.58

-20.93%

Onion (1kg)

$2.18 CHF 1.79

$2.35 $2.35

-7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.43 CHF 2.00

$1.78 $1.78

36.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 CHF 1.10

$2.22 $2.22

-40.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.65 CHF 8.77

$9.88 $9.88

7.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.97 CHF 10.69

$15.08 $15.08

-13.99%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.25 CHF 2.68

$2.92 $2.92

11.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.34 CHF 2.75

$3.46 $3.46

-3.47%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.60 CHF 3.79

$1.49 $1.49

208.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$99.8 CHF 82.2

$41.72 $41.72

139.17%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.46 CHF 4.50

$2.73 $2.73

100.00%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$3.28 CHF 2.70

$1.66 $1.66

97.59%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$59.4 CHF 48.94

$35.30 $35.30

68.33%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$2.19 CHF 1.80

$0.95 $0.95

130.53%

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

$43.3K CHF 35.6K

$36.0K $36.0K

20.04%

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

$39.7K CHF 32.7K

$27.1K $27.1K

46.70%

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

$233 CHF 192

$229 $229

1.72%

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

$31.89 CHF 26.26

$59.4 $59.4

-46.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.4 CHF 53.8

$69.9 $69.9

-6.51%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$73.6 CHF 60.6

$57.2 $57.2

28.58%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$45.51 CHF 37.49

$16.33 $16.33

178.69%

Cinema Ticket

$21.75 CHF 17.92

$14.28 $14.28

52.31%

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

$1,802 CHF 1,484

$1,506 $1,506

19.65%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$32.6K CHF 26.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

51.74%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$164 CHF 135

$52.8 $52.8

211.46%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$86.4 CHF 71.1

$43.82 $43.82

97.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$143 CHF 118

$84.8 $84.8

68.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$173 CHF 142

$103 $103

67.94%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,678 CHF 1,382

$1,907 $1,907

-12.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,759 CHF 1,448

$1,274 $1,274

38.03%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,928 CHF 2,412

$3,664 $3,664

-20.09%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,382 CHF 1,962

$2,538 $2,538

-6.17%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$15.9K CHF 13.1K

$7,614 $7,614

108.49%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$12.1K CHF 9,993

$3,157 $3,157

284.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$6,850 CHF 5,642

$5,121 $5,121

33.78%

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 Uster: 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

Uster

$1.8K 47.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 27.6% $484

Groceries & Markets

Uster

$623 16.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 35% $218

Eating Out

Uster

$465 12.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 23.9% $111

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Uster

$330 9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 8.5% $28

Clothing & Footwear

Uster

$255 6.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 49.8% $127

Getting Around

Uster

$140 3.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 58.1% $81

Sport & Entertainment

Uster

$117 3.2%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 26.7% $31

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,678 in Uster and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Uster pays 34% 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: $120 in Uster vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $623 vs $405 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇨🇭 Uster

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:34 5:34 PM

10:34 10:34 AM

7 h behind Uster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

33,097

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 →

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Between locations

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

From you

Uster
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 39% lower than in Uster. 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 34% higher in Uster, 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: $1,678 in Uster 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 $3,689 per month in Uster versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 39% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 139% less than in Uster. 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, Uster 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 39% less than in Uster. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.