Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Dunedin

For one person, living is cheaper in Dunedin: $1,821 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $10,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
87

Cost of Living Index in Dunedin
Learn more

Dunedin Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Dunedin

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,821

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $1,821 in Dunedin.

Austin, TX $2,704
Dunedin $1,821

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,717 in Dunedin.

Austin, TX $4,133
Dunedin $2,717

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $3,613 in Dunedin.

Austin, TX $5,562
Dunedin $3,613

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 48% more expensive than in Dunedin, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$13.73 NZ$24.47

47.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$61.8 NZ$110

37.70%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$11.42 NZ$20.35

8.14%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.23 NZ$5.75

69.35%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$2.08 NZ$3.71

83.65%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.09 NZ$3.72

19.62%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$6.85 NZ$12.21

17.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$6.02 NZ$10.72

49.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$2.18 NZ$3.88

-48.17%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$1.94 NZ$3.46

94.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$1.75 NZ$3.12

85.71%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$5.83 NZ$10.39

-28.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$8.15 NZ$14.52

60.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.43 NZ$16.80

51.75%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$16.55 NZ$29.49

-3.56%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$2.87 NZ$5.12

52.61%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$2.34 NZ$4.17

-38.03%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.10 NZ$5.52

46.45%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$5.04 NZ$8.99

-16.87%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$1.83 NZ$3.26

43.72%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.84 NZ$3.28

28.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.38 NZ$4.24

-26.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$0.55 NZ$0.99

292.73%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$20.93 NZ$37.29

-53.13%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$8.87 NZ$15.81

65.95%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.17 NZ$5.64

-12.30%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$1.24 NZ$2.22

180.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.09 NZ$1.94

36.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$68.1 NZ$121

-40.49%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$5.65 NZ$10.08

-52.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$27.97 NZ$49.83

26.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.71 NZ$3.05

-42.11%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$25.1K NZ$44.8K

42.46%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.0K NZ$44.6K

8.54%

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

$219 $219

$111 NZ$197

98.15%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$28.28 NZ$50.4

105.06%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$51.1 NZ$91.0

33.88%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$48.05 NZ$85.6

20.50%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$10.43 NZ$18.58

35.47%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$591 NZ$1,053

155.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$57.5 NZ$102

-10.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$34.52 NZ$61.5

27.61%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$92.9 NZ$165

-8.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$132 NZ$236

-20.32%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$876 NZ$1,561

120.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$751 NZ$1,338

69.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$1,474 NZ$2,627

148.94%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$1,150 NZ$2,049

119.61%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$2,256 NZ$4,019

41.84%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$2,455 NZ$4,375

107.89%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

7.07

-3.96%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Last update for Dunedin: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Dunedin

$751 41.8% 41% $522

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Dunedin

$320 17.8% 20.5% $83

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Dunedin

$246 13.7% 29.4% $102

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Dunedin

$190 10.6% 45% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Dunedin

$143 7.9% 10.8% $14

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Dunedin

$69 3.8% 20% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Dunedin

$78 * 4.4% 37% $21

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $876 in Dunedin. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 108% 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 $62.0 in Dunedin for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $403 vs $320 per month, with Dunedin cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇿 Dunedin

🕒 Local time

01:28 1:28 AM

19:28 7:28 PM

18 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

105,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 NZD = 0.561 USD

1 NZD = 0.5 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

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

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.78 NZD (1 NZD = 0.561 USD). 1 EUR = 2 NZD (1 NZD = 0.5 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Dunedin 12,490 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Dunedin

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 Dunedin: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Dunedin 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 Dunedin the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 108% 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 $876 in Dunedin. 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 $1,821 in Dunedin – a 48% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dunedin runs roughly 68% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,821 in Dunedin versus $2,704 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Dunedin but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dunedin 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 Dunedin 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 Dunedin 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.