Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dandenong

For one person, living is cheaper in Dandenong: $2,434 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
116

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,434

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,434 in Dandenong.

Austin, TX $2,663
Dandenong $2,434

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,384 in Dandenong.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dandenong $3,384

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,335 in Dandenong.

Austin, TX $5,603
Dandenong $4,335

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Dandenong, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Dandenong 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.56 A$25.27

18.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$53.0 A$76.2

59.72%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.12 A$17.44

1.65%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.05 A$5.83

39.01%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.29 A$3.29

62.45%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.32 A$3.33

7.76%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.63 A$8.10

42.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$3.45 A$4.96

161.16%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.56 A$2.24

-28.21%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.45 A$3.53

53.06%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.42 A$3.48

34.71%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.40 A$7.77

-22.78%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.19 A$11.79

57.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.61 A$10.95

86.07%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.97 A$17.23

35.51%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.55 A$5.11

21.97%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.85 A$4.09

-48.77%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$2.11 A$3.04

113.74%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.04 A$2.93

112.75%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.11 A$3.03

22.27%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.55 A$3.67

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$0.68 A$0.98

161.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.62 A$2.32

37.04%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$44.41 A$63.9

-77.75%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$10.25 A$14.75

47.12%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.74 A$8.25

-49.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.39 A$4.87

2.06%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$4.92 A$7.07

-69.72%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$69.8 A$100

-40.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.40 A$6.33

-37.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.43 A$2.05

16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$30.22 A$43.49

16.81%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.33 A$1.92

-28.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.3K A$40.7K

27.50%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$24.0K A$34.6K

12.65%

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

$229 $229

$226 A$326

1.14%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$15.83 A$22.77

275.17%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$41.54 A$59.8

68.30%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$61.1 A$88.0

-6.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.38 A$27.89

-15.74%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.11 A$21.74

-5.49%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,349 A$3,380

-35.88%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$29.5K A$42.5K

-27.30%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$31.50 A$45.33

67.65%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$17.58 A$25.30

149.26%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$106 A$153

-20.07%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$112 A$162

-8.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,216 A$1,749

56.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,246 A$1,793

2.27%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,275 A$3,274

61.07%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,821 A$2,620

39.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,766 A$8,298

32.04%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,632 A$8,105

-43.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$4,228 A$6,083

21.13%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.9

15.08%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Dandenong: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Dandenong

$1.2K 51.2% 2.2% $28

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Dandenong

$313 12.9% 22.7% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Dandenong

$284 11.7% 20.8% $75

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Dandenong

$279 11.5% 21.2% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Dandenong

$120 4.9% 6% $7.6

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Dandenong

$91 3.8% 6.5% $5.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Dandenong

$101 4.2% 72.1% $42

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,216 in Dandenong. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% 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 $53.0 in Dandenong for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $313 per month, with Dandenong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🕒 Local time

12:22 12:22 PM

04:22 4:22 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

30,127

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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 Dandenong 14,270 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dandenong

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 Dandenong: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dandenong wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dandenong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 21% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,216 in Dandenong. 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 $2,434 in Dandenong – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dandenong runs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,434 in Dandenong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dandenong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dandenong the clear choice for anyone on this budget.

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 Dandenong 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 Dandenong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.