Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Brisbane

For one person, living is cheaper in Brisbane: $2,560 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
123

Cost of Living Index in Brisbane
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Brisbane Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Brisbane

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,560

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,560 in Brisbane.

Austin, TX $2,704
Brisbane $2,560

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,774 in Brisbane.

Austin, TX $4,133
Brisbane $3,774

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $4,987 in Brisbane.

Austin, TX $5,562
Brisbane $4,987

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 6% more expensive than in Brisbane, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Brisbane 91% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.72 A$25.46

14.11%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$74.5 A$107

14.21%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.94 A$15.72

12.89%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$4.24 A$6.10

29.01%

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

$2.48 A$3.56

0.81%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$8.59 A$12.33

-6.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$8.25 A$11.85

8.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.63 A$2.35

-30.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$2.62 A$3.76

44.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.25 A$3.24

44.44%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$4.91 A$7.05

-15.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$9.46 A$13.59

38.27%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.00 A$12.93

59.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$13.94 A$20.02

14.49%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.18 A$6.00

4.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.02 A$4.34

-51.99%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$2.96 A$4.25

53.38%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.78 A$6.87

-12.34%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$2.75 A$3.95

-4.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.37 A$3.41

-0.42%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.36 A$3.39

-25.42%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.25 A$1.80

72.80%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$38.83 A$55.8

-74.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.35 A$17.74

19.19%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.23 A$7.51

-46.85%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$4.96 A$7.12

-29.84%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$0.34 A$0.49

338.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$21.27 A$30.56

90.46%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$2.94 A$4.22

-9.18%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.79 A$2.57

-11.73%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$41.65 A$59.8

-15.27%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.45 A$2.08

-31.72%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$26.9K A$38.7K

32.85%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$28.0K A$40.3K

-3.10%

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

$219 $219

$156 A$224

40.45%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$25.94 A$37.26

123.55%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$59.7 A$85.7

14.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$60.8 A$87.3

-4.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$23.05 A$33.12

-35.70%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$17.49 A$25.12

-19.21%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$1,943 A$2,791

-22.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$12.8K A$18.4K

67.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$81.9 A$118

-36.93%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$44.63 A$64.1

-1.30%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$111 A$159

-23.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$112 A$161

-6.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,974 A$2,835

-2.12%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,359 A$1,952

-6.39%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,333 A$4,788

10.11%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,293 A$3,293

10.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$8,100 A$11.6K

-5.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$6,066 A$8,714

-47.26%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$4,133 A$5,937

23.51%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.81

16.87%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Brisbane: October 4, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Brisbane

$1.4K 53.2% 6.8% $87

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Brisbane

$359 14.1% 10.8% $43

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Brisbane

$306 12% 12% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Brisbane

$242 9.5% 30.1% $104

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Brisbane

$157 6.2% 22.2% $29

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Brisbane

$96 3.8% 11.2% $9.6

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Brisbane

$35 1.4% 39.5% $23

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,974 in Brisbane. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% 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 $74.0 in Brisbane for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $359 per month, with Brisbane cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Brisbane

🕒 Local time

03:27 3:27 AM

18:27 6:27 PM

15 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

2,287,896

💱 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Brisbane 13,230 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Brisbane

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 Brisbane: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Brisbane wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Brisbane the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 24% 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 $1,974 in Brisbane. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,560 in Brisbane – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Brisbane runs roughly 90% 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 $2,000. Brisbane 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 Brisbane 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 Brisbane gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.