Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Alice Springs and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Alice Springs: $1,828 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index
129

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

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Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,828

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,828 in Alice Springs versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Alice Springs $1,828
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,745 in Alice Springs versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Alice Springs $2,745
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,662 in Alice Springs versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Alice Springs $3,662
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Alice Springs costs roughly 32% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Alice Springs 36% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.52 A$25.16

$20.22 $20.22

-13.35%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.1 A$119

$85.0 $85.0

-2.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 A$15.59

$12.35 $12.35

-12.15%

Cappuccino

$4.14 A$5.95

$5.47 $5.47

-24.31%

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

$2.84 A$4.08

$3.82 $3.82

-25.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.82 A$4.05

$2.50 $2.50

12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.62 A$9.50

$8.06 $8.06

-17.87%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.67 A$13.90

$8.99 $8.99

7.56%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.09

$1.13 $1.13

28.32%

White Bread (500g)

$2.13 A$3.07

$3.78 $3.78

-43.65%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.82 A$2.61

$3.25 $3.25

-44.00%

Eggs

$5.33 A$7.66

$4.14 $4.14

28.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.11 A$11.64

$13.08 $13.08

-38.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.29 A$11.91

$14.31 $14.31

-42.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.27 A$20.50

$15.96 $15.96

-10.59%

Apples (1kg)

$3.83 A$5.50

$4.38 $4.38

-12.56%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.45

$1.45 $1.45

113.79%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.58

$4.54 $4.54

-44.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$6.85 A$9.84

$4.19 $4.19

63.48%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.60

$2.63 $2.63

-4.94%

Onion (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.46

$2.36 $2.36

2.12%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.41 A$3.46

$1.76 $1.76

36.93%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.41

$2.16 $2.16

9.72%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$29.01 A$41.67

$9.81 $9.81

195.72%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.78 A$19.80

$14.72 $14.72

-6.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.35 A$4.81

$2.78 $2.78

20.50%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.18

$3.48 $3.48

63.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.77 A$3.98

$1.49 $1.49

85.91%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$91.1 A$131

$40.51 $40.51

124.86%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$5.02 A$7.21

$2.67 $2.67

88.01%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.64 A$2.36

$1.58 $1.58

3.80%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.71 A$39.81

$35.29 $35.29

-21.48%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$0.99 $0.99

31.31%

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

$37.7K A$54.1K

$35.8K $35.8K

5.20%

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

$23.4K A$33.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

-14.01%

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

$208 A$299

$219 $219

-5.04%

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

$27.26 A$39.16

$58.0 $58.0

-52.99%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$45.55 A$65.4

$68.4 $68.4

-33.37%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.8 A$81.6

$57.9 $57.9

-1.87%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.66 A$25.37

$14.82 $14.82

19.16%

Cinema Ticket

$13.86 A$19.91

$14.13 $14.13

-1.91%

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

$1,910 A$2,744

$1,509 $1,509

26.59%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.6K A$29.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-4.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$72.2 A$104

$51.7 $51.7

39.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$12.26 A$17.61

$44.05 $44.05

-72.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$137 A$197

$85.1 $85.1

61.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$176

$105 $105

16.67%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,393 A$2,001

$1,932 $1,932

-27.89%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$519 A$745

$1,272 $1,272

-59.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,290 A$1,853

$3,670 $3,670

-64.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$758 A$1,089

$2,525 $2,525

-69.96%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,528 A$6,504

$7,617 $7,617

-40.56%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,795 A$6,888

$3,199 $3,199

49.88%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,404 A$6,326

$5,105 $5,105

-13.73%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.79

-13.99%

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

Last update for Alice Springs: October 4, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Alice Springs

$519 28.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 145% $754

Groceries & Markets

Alice Springs

$361 19.9%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 11.6% $42

Eating Out

Alice Springs

$297 16.4%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 17% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Alice Springs

$281 15.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 23% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Alice Springs

$155 8.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 17% $26

Getting Around

Alice Springs

$115 6.4%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 50.6% $58

Sport & Entertainment

Alice Springs

$85 4.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 1.9% $1.6

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,393 in Alice Springs and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 16% 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: $83.0 in Alice Springs vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $361 vs $403 per month, with Alice Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

21:13 9:13 PM

14 h 30 min behind Alice Springs

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

24,855

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Alice Springs Austin, TX 14,890 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Alice Springs
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

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

Alice Springs wins on cost – living expenses run 48% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Alice Springs the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 16% 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: $1,393 in Alice Springs versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Supermarket bills run roughly 12% higher in Austin, TX. For households that cook at home regularly, that difference adds up over a month.

Dining out is cheaper in Alice Springs – a meal for two runs $83.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Alice Springs 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, Alice Springs 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 Alice Springs gentler on the wallet – expenses run 48% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.