Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Alice Springs

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.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
88

Cost of Living Index in Alice Springs
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Alice Springs Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Alice Springs

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,828

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Alice Springs

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Austin, TX and in Alice Springs actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

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

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

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

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

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

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

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 48% more expensive than in Alice Springs, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.52 A$25.16

15.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$83.1 A$119

2.36%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.85 A$15.59

13.82%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.14 A$5.95

32.13%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.84 A$4.08

34.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.82 A$4.05

-11.35%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.62 A$9.50

21.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.67 A$13.90

-7.03%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.45 A$2.09

-22.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.13 A$3.07

77.46%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.82 A$2.61

78.57%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$5.33 A$7.66

-22.33%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.11 A$11.64

61.28%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$8.29 A$11.91

72.62%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.27 A$20.50

11.84%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.83 A$5.50

14.36%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.10 A$4.45

-53.23%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.50 A$3.58

81.60%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$6.85 A$9.84

-38.83%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.50 A$3.60

5.20%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.41 A$3.46

-2.07%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.41 A$3.46

-26.97%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$2.37 A$3.41

-8.86%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$29.01 A$41.67

-66.18%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$13.78 A$19.80

6.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.35 A$4.81

-17.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.69 A$8.18

-38.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.77 A$3.98

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$91.1 A$131

-55.53%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.02 A$7.21

-46.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.64 A$2.36

-3.66%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$27.71 A$39.81

27.35%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.30 A$1.87

-23.85%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$37.7K A$54.1K

-4.95%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$23.4K A$33.6K

16.30%

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

$219 $219

$208 A$299

5.31%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$27.26 A$39.16

112.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$45.55 A$65.4

50.08%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$56.8 A$81.6

1.90%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$17.66 A$25.37

-16.08%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$13.86 A$19.91

1.95%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,910 A$2,744

-21.00%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.6K A$29.6K

4.20%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$72.2 A$104

-28.49%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$12.26 A$17.61

259.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$137 A$197

-38.06%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$123 A$176

-14.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,393 A$2,001

38.68%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$519 A$745

145.40%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,290 A$1,853

184.52%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$758 A$1,089

232.92%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$4,528 A$6,504

68.23%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$4,795 A$6,888

-33.28%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$4,404 A$6,326

15.91%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.84

16.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Alice Springs: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Alice Springs

$519 28.6% 59.2% $754

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Alice Springs

$361 19.9% 10.4% $42

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Alice Springs

$297 16.4% 14.5% $51

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Alice Springs

$281 15.5% 18.7% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Alice Springs

$155 8.6% 20.5% $26

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Alice Springs

$85 4.7% 1.9% $1.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Alice Springs

$115 6.4% 103% $58

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,393 in Alice Springs. 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: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $83.0 in Alice Springs for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $361 per month, with Alice Springs cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Alice Springs

🕒 Local time

23:04 11:04 PM

13:34 1:34 PM

14 h 30 min ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

24,855

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

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).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

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

From you

Austin, TX
Alice Springs

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

Austin, TX vs Alice Springs: 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.

Average pay runs 16% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,393 in Alice Springs. 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, Austin, TX and Alice Springs 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.