Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Melbourne

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,704 a month against $2,852 in Melbourne, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
137

Cost of Living Index in Melbourne
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Melbourne Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Melbourne

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,852

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,704 in Austin, TX versus $2,852 in Melbourne.

Austin, TX $2,704
Melbourne $2,852

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $4,297 in Melbourne.

Austin, TX $4,133
Melbourne $4,297

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,562 in Austin, TX versus $5,742 in Melbourne.

Austin, TX $5,562
Melbourne $5,742

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 5% less than in Melbourne, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 102% above, Melbourne 113% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.22 $20.22

$17.75 A$25.49

13.92%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$85.0 $85.0

$84.8 A$122

0.24%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.35 $12.35

$12.16 A$17.46

1.56%

Cappuccino

$5.47 $5.47

$3.93 A$5.64

39.19%

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

$3.82 $3.82

$3.14 A$4.51

21.66%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.43 A$3.49

2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.06 $8.06

$9.90 A$14.22

-18.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.99 $8.99

$8.29 A$11.91

8.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.13 $1.13

$1.55 A$2.22

-27.10%

White Bread (500g)

$3.78 $3.78

$3.01 A$4.32

25.58%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.25 $3.25

$2.88 A$4.14

12.85%

Eggs

$4.14 $4.14

$5.44 A$7.82

-23.90%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.08 $13.08

$10.59 A$15.22

23.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.31 $14.31

$9.61 A$13.81

48.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.96 $15.96

$14.99 A$21.54

6.47%

Apples (1kg)

$4.38 $4.38

$4.15 A$5.96

5.54%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.05 A$4.38

-52.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.54 $4.54

$3.30 A$4.74

37.58%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.19 $4.19

$4.76 A$6.83

-11.97%

Potato (1kg)

$2.63 $2.63

$3.04 A$4.36

-13.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.55 A$3.66

-7.45%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.76 $1.76

$2.48 A$3.56

-29.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.16 $2.16

$1.63 A$2.34

32.52%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.81 $9.81

$44.07 A$63.3

-77.74%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.72 $14.72

$12.43 A$17.85

18.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.78 $2.78

$5.33 A$7.65

-47.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.48 $3.48

$5.16 A$7.41

-32.56%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.84 A$5.52

-61.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.51 $40.51

$142 A$203

-71.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.67 $2.67

$4.40 A$6.32

-39.32%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.58 $1.58

$1.40 A$2.01

12.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.29 $35.29

$29.83 A$42.84

18.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.99 $0.99

$1.46 A$2.09

-32.19%

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

$35.8K $35.8K

$28.1K A$40.4K

27.20%

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

$27.2K $27.2K

$25.9K A$37.3K

4.74%

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

$219 $219

$233 A$334

-5.75%

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

$58.0 $58.0

$27.28 A$39.19

112.57%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$68.4 $68.4

$57.0 A$81.9

19.85%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.9 $57.9

$52.7 A$75.7

9.91%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.82 $14.82

$22.62 A$32.49

-34.48%

Cinema Ticket

$14.13 $14.13

$17.10 A$24.57

-17.37%

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

$1,509 $1,509

$2,373 A$3,409

-36.42%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.5K A$43.8K

-29.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.7 $51.7

$78.2 A$112

-33.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.05 $44.05

$50.5 A$72.5

-12.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.1 $85.1

$121 A$173

-29.40%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$105 $105

$133 A$191

-20.95%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,932 $1,932

$1,713 A$2,460

12.81%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,272 $1,272

$1,402 A$2,014

-9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,670 $3,670

$3,339 A$4,796

9.93%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,525 $2,525

$2,529 A$3,632

-0.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,617 $7,617

$7,018 A$10.1K

8.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,199 $3,199

$6,767 A$9,721

-52.72%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,105 $5,105

$4,228 A$6,074

20.72%

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 5, 2026

Last update for Melbourne: October 6, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2%

Melbourne

$1.4K 49.3% 10.2% $129

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$403 15.3%

Melbourne

$385 13.5% 4.4% $18

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.2%

Melbourne

$314 11% 9.8% $34

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$346 13.1%

Melbourne

$317 11.1% 8.3% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.9%

Melbourne

$172 6.1% 33.7% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.3%

Melbourne

$87 3.1% 0.8% $0.7

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.2%

Melbourne

$168 5.9% 195% $111

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,932 in Austin, TX and $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $85.0 in Melbourne. Groceries flip the comparison at $403 vs $385, with Melbourne cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Melbourne

🕒 Local time

21:48 9:48 PM

13:48 1:48 PM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

5,031,195

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 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 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Melbourne 14,280 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Melbourne

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: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Melbourne. 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 21% 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: $1,932 in Austin, TX versus $1,713 in Melbourne. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,704 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,852 in Melbourne – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 249% less than in Melbourne. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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.

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 Melbourne 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Melbourne. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.