Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Margaret River

For one person, living costs are similar in Austin, TX and in Margaret River: $2,663 and $2,566 a month, rent and utilities included.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,566

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Margaret River

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,566 in Margaret River.

Austin, TX $2,663
Margaret River $2,566

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,723 in Margaret River.

Austin, TX $4,133
Margaret River $3,723

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,880 in Margaret River.

Austin, TX $5,603
Margaret River $4,880

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 4% more expensive than in Margaret River, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Margaret River 90% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$19.82 A$28.39

4.79%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.0 A$117

3.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$10.56 A$15.13

16.67%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.42 A$6.33

27.38%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.92 A$4.18

27.40%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.18 A$3.13

14.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$8.31 A$11.90

-3.13%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.52 A$12.21

5.75%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.72 A$2.46

-34.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$3.16 A$4.53

18.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.98 A$2.84

64.65%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.26 A$7.54

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$9.03 A$12.94

42.86%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.00 A$12.90

57.33%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$13.70 A$19.62

18.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.45 A$6.37

-2.70%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.10 A$4.44

-52.90%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.42 A$4.90

31.87%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$5.03 A$7.20

-13.72%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.88 A$4.13

-10.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.92 A$2.75

22.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.32 A$3.32

-23.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.36 A$1.96

63.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$42.56 A$61.0

-76.79%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.60 A$18.05

19.68%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.22 A$6.05

-30.81%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$3.43 A$4.91

0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.95 A$4.23

-49.49%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$82.2 A$118

-49.25%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.58 A$5.13

-23.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.44 A$2.07

15.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$40.63 A$58.2

-13.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.35 A$1.93

-29.63%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.7K A$39.7K

30.21%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$29.1K A$41.6K

-6.88%

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

$229 $229

$197 A$282

16.36%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$32.94 A$47.18

80.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$64.3 A$92.0

8.81%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$56.0 A$80.2

2.23%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.38 A$24.89

-6.04%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$17.17 A$24.60

-16.83%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,306 A$3,304

-34.71%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.9K A$32.8K

-6.16%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$77.3 A$111

-31.70%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$65.4 A$93.6

-32.96%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$123 A$176

-31.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$164 A$234

-37.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,387 A$1,986

37.54%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,199 A$1,718

6.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,170 A$3,108

68.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,825 A$2,614

39.11%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,036 A$7,214

51.20%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,814 A$6,896

-34.42%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$2,954 A$4,232

73.35%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.91

14.89%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Margaret River: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Margaret River

$1.2K 46.8% 5.9% $75

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Margaret River

$362 14.1% 10.6% $43

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Margaret River

$294 11.5% 17.9% $64

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Margaret River

$322 12.6% 8.9% $32

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Margaret River

$193 7.5% 51% $65

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Margaret River

$90 3.5% 5.3% $4.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Margaret River

$105 4.1% 78.5% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,387 in Margaret River. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 73% 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 $82.0 in Margaret River for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $362 per month, with Margaret River cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🕒 Local time

16:14 4:14 PM

05:14 5:14 AM

13 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

8,000

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.894 EUR

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 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 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Margaret River 16,910 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Margaret River

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 Margaret River: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Margaret River wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margaret River the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 73% 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 $1,387 in Margaret River. 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 $2,566 in Margaret River – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Margaret River runs roughly 97% 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 $2,500. Margaret River 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 Margaret River 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 Margaret River gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.