Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Canberra

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Canberra: $2,704 and $2,791 a month, rent and utilities included.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,791

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,791 in Canberra.

Austin, TX $2,704
Canberra $2,791

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,958 in Canberra.

Austin, TX $4,133
Canberra $3,958

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $5,125 in Canberra.

Austin, TX $5,562
Canberra $5,125

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 3% less than in Canberra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Canberra 108% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.14 A$24.62

17.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$88.3 A$127

-3.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$10.50 A$15.09

17.62%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.94 A$5.66

38.83%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.17 A$4.55

20.50%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.63 A$3.78

-4.94%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$8.32 A$11.95

-3.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$9.73 A$13.98

-7.61%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.50 A$2.15

-24.67%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.21 A$4.62

17.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.64 A$3.80

23.11%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$5.25 A$7.53

-21.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$13.07 A$18.78

0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$10.16 A$14.59

40.85%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$15.48 A$22.23

3.10%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$3.93 A$5.65

11.45%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.09 A$4.44

-53.07%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.59 A$5.16

26.46%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.09 A$7.31

-17.68%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.05 A$4.38

-13.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.77 A$3.97

-14.80%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.46 A$3.53

-28.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.64 A$2.35

31.71%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$44.29 A$63.6

-77.85%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$14.17 A$20.36

3.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$4.80 A$6.90

-42.08%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.65 A$8.11

-38.41%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.86 A$4.11

-47.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$93.0 A$134

-56.45%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$3.96 A$5.70

-32.58%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.63 A$2.34

-3.07%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$42.39 A$60.9

-16.75%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.31 A$1.88

-24.43%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$27.4K A$39.4K

30.47%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$29.3K A$42.1K

-7.20%

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

$219 $219

$179 A$257

22.43%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$26.92 A$38.67

115.42%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$54.9 A$78.8

24.56%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$83.2 A$119

-30.38%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$27.11 A$38.94

-45.33%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$15.51 A$22.28

-8.90%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,382 A$3,422

-36.66%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.0K A$28.8K

7.18%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$76.6 A$110

-32.54%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$55.4 A$79.6

-20.50%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$115 A$165

-25.74%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$132 A$190

-20.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,711 A$2,458

12.93%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,467 A$2,107

-13.28%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,098 A$4,450

18.48%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,968 A$2,827

28.31%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$11.2K A$16.0K

-31.82%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$7,417 A$10.7K

-56.86%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$4,310 A$6,191

18.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.95

14.12%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Canberra: October 3, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8% 15.3% $195

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Canberra

$401 14.2% 0.5% $2

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Canberra

$300 10.6% 13.8% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Canberra

$261 9.2% 24.5% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Canberra

$171 6% 32.5% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Canberra

$114 4% 32.5% $28

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Canberra

$117 4.1% 104% $60

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,711 in Canberra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $88.0 in Canberra. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $401, with Canberra cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Canberra

🕒 Local time

22:57 10:57 PM

14:57 2:57 PM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

466,566 Capital

💱 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 Canberra 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Canberra

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 Canberra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Canberra. 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 18% 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 $1,711 in Canberra. 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 $2,791 in Canberra – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 130% less than in Canberra. 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, Austin, TX and Canberra 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 3% less than in Canberra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.