Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Forster

For one person, living is cheaper in Forster: $2,456 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 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
123

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,456

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,456 in Forster.

Austin, TX $2,663
Forster $2,456

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,696 in Forster.

Austin, TX $4,133
Forster $3,696

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,937 in Forster.

Austin, TX $5,603
Forster $4,937

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.41 A$25.05

19.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$90.1 A$130

-6.08%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.28 A$14.80

19.84%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.93 A$5.66

43.26%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.88 A$4.14

29.17%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.16 A$3.11

15.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.11 A$10.23

13.22%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.51 A$7.93

63.52%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.68 A$2.42

-33.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.77 A$3.99

35.38%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.36 A$3.40

38.14%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.41 A$7.78

-22.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$12.05 A$17.34

7.05%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.36 A$13.47

51.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$16.51 A$23.77

-1.76%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.91 A$5.63

10.74%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.24 A$4.66

-54.94%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.45 A$4.96

30.72%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.40 A$6.34

-1.36%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.18 A$4.57

-18.87%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.33 A$3.35

0.86%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.36 A$3.40

-24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.19 A$1.71

86.55%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$44.21 A$63.6

-77.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.74 A$19.77

9.75%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.87 A$5.56

-24.55%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.91 A$5.63

-11.51%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.88 A$4.14

-48.26%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$80.8 A$116

-48.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.49 A$5.03

-21.78%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.56 A$2.24

6.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$40.50 A$58.3

-12.84%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.45 A$2.09

-34.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.7K A$41.2K

25.77%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$30.0K A$43.1K

-9.71%

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

$229 $229

$222 A$319

3.22%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.32 A$39.31

117.39%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.5 A$81.3

23.80%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$57.2 A$82.3

0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.94 A$28.69

-18.10%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.15 A$24.67

-16.73%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,227 A$3,205

-32.39%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$27.9K A$40.1K

-23.05%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$80.0 A$115

-34.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$68.9 A$99.1

-36.40%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$111 A$159

-23.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$134 A$193

-23.36%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,533 A$2,206

24.40%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,118 A$1,609

13.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,440 A$3,512

50.17%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,911 A$2,750

32.84%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,666 A$8,154

34.37%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,657 A$8,140

-44.18%

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 Forster: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Forster

$1.1K 45.5% 12.2% $156

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Forster

$376 15.3% 7.2% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Forster

$306 12.4% 14.7% $53

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Forster

$284 11.6% 19.7% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Forster

$177 7.2% 38.5% $49

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Forster

$91 3.7% 6.6% $5.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Forster

$104 4.2% 76.5% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,533 in Forster. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $90.0 in Forster. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $376, with Forster cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Forster

🕒 Local time

11:43 11:43 AM

03:43 3:43 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

20,554

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Forster 13,460 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Forster

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 Forster: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Forster 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 Forster the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,684 in Forster 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 $1,533 in Forster. 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 $2,456 in Forster – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Forster runs roughly 94% 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 $3,000. Forster 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 Forster 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 Forster 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.