Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Melbourne, FL

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,140 in Melbourne, FL, rent and utilities included – about $6,400 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
152

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne, FL
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Melbourne, FL Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Melbourne, FL

🇺🇸 United States

$3,140

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Melbourne, FL

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,140 in Melbourne, FL.

Austin, TX $2,607
Melbourne, FL $3,140

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,225 in Melbourne, FL.

Austin, TX $4,031
Melbourne, FL $4,225

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $5,310 in Melbourne, FL.

Austin, TX $5,454
Melbourne, FL $5,310

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 17% less than in Melbourne, FL, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Melbourne, FL 131% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$25.30 $25.30

-19.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$75.7 $75.7

11.95%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$9.86 $9.86

22.92%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$5.14 $5.14

9.92%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$3.09 $3.09

19.09%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$1.97 $1.97

19.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$5.14 $5.14

53.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.32 $7.32

20.49%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$0.89 $0.89

28.09%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$4.37 $4.37

-15.56%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$3.22 $3.22

2.80%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.83 $5.83

-28.82%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$13.30 $13.30

-2.41%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$11.26 $11.26

23.09%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$14.99 $14.99

9.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$4.74 $4.74

-1.05%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$1.51 $1.51

-3.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$4.37 $4.37

16.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$5.45 $5.45

-17.06%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$2.89 $2.89

6.57%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$3.41 $3.41

-30.21%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.23 $2.23

-19.28%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.60 $2.60

-14.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$9.42 $9.42

5.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$15.27 $15.27

-1.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$2.14 $2.14

35.98%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$3.24 $3.24

2.78%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$1.48 $1.48

-17.57%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$42.70 $42.70

-5.08%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$10.04 $10.04

-72.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.91 $1.91

-13.61%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.00 $1.00

-5.00%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$27.9K $27.9K

22.76%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.0K $27.0K

-0.82%

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

$223 $223

$171 $171

30.17%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$59.1 $59.1

-1.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$76.1 $76.1

-6.44%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$36.40 $36.40

45.71%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$2.76 $2.76

506.88%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$12.64 $12.64

11.23%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$885 $885

64.91%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$20.2K $20.2K

5.58%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$75.9 $75.9

-30.84%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$58.6 $58.6

-27.04%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$118 $118

-27.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

-0.11%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$1,703 $1,703

24.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,778 $1,778

-30.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$2,318 $2,318

66.66%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$2,273 $2,273

5.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$3,037 $3,037

144.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$2,382 $2,382

28.49%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$3,658 $3,658

41.58%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.86

-0.58%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Melbourne, FL: October 27, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Melbourne, FL

$1.8K 56.6% 44.5% $548

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Melbourne, FL

$411 13.1% 0.2% $0.9

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Melbourne, FL

$306 9.8% 13.1% $46

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Melbourne, FL

$354 11.3% 1.8% $6.1

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Melbourne, FL

$161 5.1% 25% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Melbourne, FL

$62 2% 24% $19

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Melbourne, FL

$68 2.2% 20.8% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $1,703 in Melbourne, FL. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 42% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $76 in Melbourne, FL. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $411, with Austin, TX cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Melbourne, FL

🕒 Local time

19:30 7:30 PM

20:30 8:30 PM

1 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

76,068

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.896 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Melbourne, FL 1,680 km ≈ 2 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Melbourne, FL

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 Melbourne, FL: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 17% lower than in Melbourne, FL. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 42% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $1,703 in Melbourne, FL. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,459 in Austin, TX versus $885 in Melbourne, FL. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Melbourne, FL – a meal for two runs $76 versus $85 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.