Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Frankston

For one person, living is cheaper in Frankston: $2,361 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Frankston
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,361
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,361 in Frankston.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Frankston $2,361

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,320 in Frankston.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Frankston $3,320

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,278 in Frankston.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Frankston $4,278

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 13% more expensive than in Frankston, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Frankston 75% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$14.79 A$21.28
40.43%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$60.0 A$86.4
40.91%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.24 A$14.74
20.31%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$2.74 A$3.95
105.47%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$3.05 A$4.38
21.97%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$2.11 A$3.03
18.48%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$9.51 A$13.69
-15.35%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$6.99 A$10.06
28.90%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.56 A$2.25
-28.21%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.55 A$3.68
47.06%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.10 A$3.02
55.24%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$3.79 A$5.45
10.03%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$10.53 A$15.15
22.51%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$9.66 A$13.91
46.58%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$7.85 A$11.30
106.62%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.62 A$3.77
65.27%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$3.01 A$4.33
-51.50%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.72 A$3.91
65.81%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$2.81 A$4.04
54.45%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.99 A$4.30
-13.71%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.53 A$3.64
-7.11%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$2.39 A$3.44
-25.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.40 A$2.02
58.57%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$42.29 A$60.9
-76.64%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$6.19 A$8.90
143.62%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.09 A$4.45
-5.50%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$4.11 A$5.91
-15.82%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.41 A$4.91
-56.30%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$81.5 A$117
-48.78%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$4.46 A$6.42
-38.79%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.37 A$1.97
21.17%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$30.40 A$43.74
16.12%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.20 A$1.73
-20.83%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$28.7K A$41.3K
25.53%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$26.2K A$37.7K
3.38%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$228 A$328
0.33%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$10.55 A$15.18
462.94%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$55.0 A$79.1
27.20%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$55.0 A$79.2
4.07%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$17.90 A$25.76
-8.77%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$15.52 A$22.34
-7.99%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$2,391 A$3,441
-37.03%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$30.0K A$43.2K
-28.55%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$79.0 A$114
-33.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$49.82 A$71.7
-12.04%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$85.9 A$124
-1.30%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$48.85 A$70.3
110.87%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,374 A$1,978
38.77%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$1,191 A$1,714
6.95%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$2,167 A$3,118
69.11%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,792 A$2,578
41.66%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$6,300 A$9,066
20.85%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$5,043 A$7,257
-37.39%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Frankston
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$4,335 A$6,237
18.14%
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 Frankston: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Frankston
$1.2K 6.5% $83
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Frankston
$301 25.7% $104
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Frankston
$294 18% $65
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Frankston
$264 25.4% $90
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Frankston
$119 7.3% $9.4
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Frankston
$86 0.3% $0.3
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Frankston
$106 81.3% $48

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,374 in Frankston. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% 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 $60.0 in Frankston for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $301 per month, with Frankston cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇦🇺 Frankston
🕒 Local time
14:50 2:50 PM
06:50 6:50 AM
16 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
37,331
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

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).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Frankston 14,280 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Frankston

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 Frankston: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Frankston?
Frankston wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Frankston the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Frankston?
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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Frankston?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,374 in Frankston. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Frankston?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,361 in Frankston – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Frankston?
A monthly transit pass in Frankston runs roughly 95% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,500/month in Austin, TX or in Frankston?
At $2,361 in Frankston versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Frankston but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Frankston the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Frankston?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Frankston?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Frankston are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Frankston gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

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