Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Ballina

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballina: $2,462 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Ballina
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Ballina Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Ballina

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,462

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Ballina

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 Ballina actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,462 in Ballina.

Austin, TX $2,663
Ballina $2,462

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,724 in Ballina.

Austin, TX $4,133
Ballina $3,724

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,986 in Ballina.

Austin, TX $5,603
Ballina $4,986

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Ballina, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Ballina 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.33 A$24.93

19.85%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.9 A$119

2.10%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.17 A$13.19

34.35%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.90 A$5.61

44.36%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.84 A$4.08

30.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.27 A$3.27

10.13%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.59 A$10.93

6.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.44 A$10.71

21.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.66 A$3.82

-57.89%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.25 A$4.67

15.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.18 A$3.14

49.54%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.69 A$8.18

-26.71%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.36 A$9.15

102.83%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.17 A$13.20

54.42%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.05 A$21.66

7.77%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.52 A$5.07

23.01%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.11 A$4.47

-53.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.19 A$4.59

41.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.49 A$5.02

24.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.69 A$3.87

-4.09%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.33 A$3.35

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$3.54 A$5.10

-49.72%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.53 A$2.20

45.10%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$42.38 A$61.0

-76.69%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.97 A$20.10

7.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.81 A$6.93

-39.29%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.15 A$7.41

-32.82%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.30 A$4.75

-54.85%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$92.7 A$133

-54.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.54 A$5.09

-22.88%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.70 A$2.44

-2.35%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$39.11 A$56.3

-9.74%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 A$1.80

-24.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.8K A$38.6K

34.46%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$33.0K A$47.4K

-17.84%

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

$229 $229

$216 A$311

6.07%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$31.56 A$45.42

88.18%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$49.28 A$70.9

41.86%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$61.1 A$88.0

-6.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.31 A$24.91

-5.66%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.89 A$22.86

-10.13%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,912 A$2,752

-21.26%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.5K A$32.4K

-4.60%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$80.3 A$116

-34.27%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$55.6 A$79.9

-21.12%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$102 A$147

-17.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$136 A$195

-23.98%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,541 A$2,218

23.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,126 A$1,620

13.20%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,038 A$2,933

79.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$2,001 A$2,880

26.82%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$6,245 A$8,987

21.91%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,569 A$6,575

-30.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 12, 2026

Last update for Ballina: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Ballina

$1.1K 45.7% 11.7% $149

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Ballina

$375 15.2% 7.4% $30

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Ballina

$297 12.1% 17.2% $62

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Ballina

$286 11.6% 19.1% $68

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Ballina

$168 6.8% 31.4% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Ballina

$93 3.8% 8.3% $7.1

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Ballina

$118 4.8% 101% $59

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,541 in Ballina. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $83.0 in Ballina for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $375 per month, with Ballina cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Ballina

🕒 Local time

19:08 7:08 PM

11:08 11:08 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,911

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Ballina 13,250 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Ballina

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 Ballina: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Ballina wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballina the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,693 in Ballina to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,541 in Ballina. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,462 in Ballina – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ballina runs roughly 122% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,500. Ballina 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 Ballina 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 Ballina gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.