Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Katoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,363 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
121

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
Learn more

Katoomba Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,363

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,363 in Katoomba.

Austin, TX $2,663
Katoomba $2,363

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,564 in Katoomba.

Austin, TX $4,133
Katoomba $3,564

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,765 in Katoomba.

Austin, TX $5,603
Katoomba $4,765

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

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

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.45 A$25.12

19.03%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$84.7 A$122

-0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.59 A$15.24

16.34%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.04 A$4.38

85.20%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 A$3.90

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.14 A$3.08

16.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.33 A$9.11

27.17%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.32 A$11.98

8.29%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.58 A$2.28

-29.11%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.18 A$4.57

17.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.63 A$3.78

23.95%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.11 A$7.36

-18.40%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$13.16 A$18.93

-1.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.11 A$14.54

40.06%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.30 A$22.02

6.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.93 A$5.66

10.18%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.22 A$4.63

-54.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.57 A$5.13

26.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.35 A$7.70

-18.88%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.08 A$4.43

-16.23%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.85 A$4.10

-17.54%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.47 A$3.56

-27.94%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.40 A$2.01

58.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$44.21 A$63.6

-77.65%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.93 A$20.05

8.26%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.63 A$6.66

-36.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.66 A$8.14

-38.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.12 A$4.49

-52.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$69.3 A$99.8

-39.82%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.93 A$5.65

-30.53%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.55 A$2.23

7.10%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$43.69 A$62.9

-19.20%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.37 A$1.97

-30.66%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.5K A$38.1K

36.19%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$29.5K A$42.4K

-8.08%

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

$229 $229

$185 A$266

24.01%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$26.51 A$38.15

124.03%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.1 A$80.7

24.59%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$55.7 A$80.1

2.82%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$15.43 A$22.20

5.83%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.93 A$22.93

-10.36%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,355 A$3,389

-36.06%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$20.0K A$28.7K

7.52%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$74.9 A$108

-29.45%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$56.5 A$81.2

-22.37%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$109 A$157

-22.12%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$131 A$189

-21.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,392 A$2,003

37.03%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,074 A$1,545

18.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,239 A$3,222

63.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,831 A$2,634

38.65%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,035 A$7,246

51.21%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,173 A$7,444

-38.97%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 12, 2026

Last update for Katoomba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.4% 15.7% $200

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Katoomba

$398 16.9% 1.5% $6.1

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Katoomba

$267 11.3% 25.4% $91

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Katoomba

$276 11.7% 22.1% $78

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Katoomba

$167 7.1% 30.5% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Katoomba

$88 3.7% 2% $1.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Katoomba

$93 4% 59.2% $35

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,392 in Katoomba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $85.0 in Katoomba. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $398, with Katoomba cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🕒 Local time

10:51 10:51 AM

02:51 2:51 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,000

💱 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Katoomba 13,700 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Katoomba

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 Katoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Katoomba 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 Katoomba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,545 in Katoomba 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 $1,392 in Katoomba. 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 $2,363 in Katoomba – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Katoomba runs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,363 in Katoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Katoomba but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Katoomba 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 Katoomba 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 Katoomba 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.