Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Mount Isa

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Isa: $2,466 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Mount Isa
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Mount Isa Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,466

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Mount Isa

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,698 in Austin, TX versus $2,466 in Mount Isa.

Austin, TX $2,698
Mount Isa $2,466

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,160 in Austin, TX versus $3,582 in Mount Isa.

Austin, TX $4,160
Mount Isa $3,582

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,622 in Austin, TX versus $4,699 in Mount Isa.

Austin, TX $5,622
Mount Isa $4,699

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in Mount Isa, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Mount Isa 82% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.63 $20.63

$17.59 A$25.32

17.28%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$83.5 A$120

1.23%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.07 $12.07

$10.30 A$14.82

17.18%

Cappuccino

$5.48 $5.48

$4.09 A$5.88

33.99%

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

$3.80 $3.80

$2.83 A$4.08

34.28%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.47 $2.47

$2.19 A$3.15

12.79%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.58 A$10.90

6.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.88 $8.88

$7.88 A$11.34

12.69%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 $1.11

$1.58 A$2.28

-29.75%

White Bread (500g)

$3.72 $3.72

$2.66 A$3.82

39.85%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.37 $3.37

$2.27 A$3.27

48.46%

Eggs

$4.32 $4.32

$4.88 A$7.03

-11.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.13 $13.13

$9.12 A$13.12

43.97%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.15 $14.15

$9.46 A$13.62

49.58%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 $16.33

$14.45 A$20.79

13.01%

Apples (1kg)

$4.55 $4.55

$3.93 A$5.65

15.78%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.11 A$4.48

-53.05%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.71 $4.71

$3.20 A$4.61

47.19%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.15 $4.15

$4.67 A$6.72

-11.13%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.68 A$3.85

-3.73%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.42 A$3.48

-2.89%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.77 $1.77

$2.44 A$3.51

-27.46%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 $2.14

$1.50 A$2.16

42.67%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.10 $10.10

$41.02 A$59.0

-75.38%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.19 $15.19

$13.90 A$20.00

9.28%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$4.59 A$6.60

-38.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.44 $3.44

$5.31 A$7.64

-35.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.54 $1.54

$2.79 A$4.01

-44.80%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.99 $40.99

$81.0 A$117

-49.37%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.80 $2.80

$3.51 A$5.04

-20.23%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.60 $1.60

$1.54 A$2.22

3.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.34 $34.34

$39.28 A$56.5

-12.58%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.94 $0.94

$1.37 A$1.97

-31.39%

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

$34.0K $34.0K

$26.4K A$38.0K

28.69%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$29.9K A$43.0K

-10.52%

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

$223 $223

$202 A$291

10.17%

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

$58.9 $58.9

$27.99 A$40.27

110.43%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$70.6 $70.6

$57.2 A$82.4

23.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.7 $57.7

$55.3 A$79.6

4.30%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.53 $16.53

$17.57 A$25.29

-5.92%

Cinema Ticket

$14.26 $14.26

$14.80 A$21.29

-3.65%

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

$1,511 $1,511

$2,134 A$3,071

-29.20%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.9K $20.9K

$20.5K A$29.5K

2.06%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$51.3 $51.3

$77.6 A$112

-33.96%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$44.17 $44.17

$55.1 A$79.3

-19.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$87.0 $87.0

$107 A$154

-18.62%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$123 A$176

-14.88%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,940 $1,940

$1,395 A$2,007

39.09%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,316 $1,316

$1,167 A$1,680

12.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,102 A$3,025

74.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,565 $2,565

$1,785 A$2,568

43.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,354 $7,354

$5,804 A$8,352

26.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,129 $3,129

$4,848 A$6,976

-35.46%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,286 $5,286

$4,368 A$6,286

21.02%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.84

16.27%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Last update for Mount Isa: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8%

Mount Isa

$1.2K 47.4% 11.3% $149

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$406 15.1%

Mount Isa

$365 14.8% 10% $41

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$352 13.1%

Mount Isa

$287 11.7% 18.4% $65

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$350 13%

Mount Isa

$294 11.9% 15.9% $56

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$129 4.8%

Mount Isa

$163 6.6% 26.3% $34

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Mount Isa

$85 3.4% 1.5% $1.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$58 2.2%

Mount Isa

$103 4.2% 78.4% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,940 in Austin, TX and $1,395 in Mount Isa. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% 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 $84.0 in Mount Isa for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $406 vs $365 per month, with Mount Isa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Mount Isa

🕒 Local time

18:46 6:46 PM

09:46 9:46 AM

15 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

17,936

💱 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 20, 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 →

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Between locations

Austin, TX Mount Isa 14,230 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Mount Isa

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 Mount Isa: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Mount Isa wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Mount Isa 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: $1,940 in Austin, TX versus $1,395 in Mount Isa. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,698 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,466 in Mount Isa – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Mount Isa runs roughly 98% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,466 in Mount Isa versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mount Isa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.