Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Pakenham

For one person, living is cheaper in Pakenham: $2,532 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

130

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

Cost of Living Index in Pakenham
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Pakenham Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Pakenham

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,532

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,532 in Pakenham.

Austin, TX $2,663
Pakenham $2,532

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,680 in Pakenham.

Austin, TX $4,133
Pakenham $3,680

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,828 in Pakenham.

Austin, TX $5,603
Pakenham $4,828

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 5% more expensive than in Pakenham, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Pakenham 88% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.31 A$24.91

19.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.6 A$119

2.42%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.18 A$17.53

1.15%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.08 A$5.88

37.99%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.04 A$4.38

22.37%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.43 A$3.50

2.88%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.90 A$14.25

-18.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.24 A$11.86

9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.19 A$1.71

-5.88%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.89 A$4.15

29.76%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.53 A$3.64

28.85%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.53 A$7.95

-24.59%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.47 A$12.19

52.30%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.01 A$14.41

41.46%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.17 A$21.83

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.13 A$5.95

4.84%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.55 A$3.68

-42.75%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.12 A$4.49

44.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.62 A$6.64

-6.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$3.10 A$4.46

-16.77%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.55 A$3.67

-7.84%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.44 A$3.51

-27.05%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.56 A$2.24

42.31%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$25.12 A$36.14

-60.67%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.46 A$17.94

21.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.76 A$8.29

-49.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.16 A$7.42

-32.95%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.57 A$3.70

-42.02%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$87.0 A$125

-52.06%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.51 A$6.49

-39.47%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.36 A$1.95

22.06%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$29.83 A$42.93

18.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.41 A$2.02

-32.62%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.0K A$41.8K

24.20%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.1K A$37.5K

3.78%

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

$229 $229

$235 A$339

-2.70%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.39 A$39.41

116.83%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$55.6 A$80.0

25.78%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$49.14 A$70.7

16.48%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.99 A$25.89

-9.23%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.60 A$22.45

-8.46%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,334 A$3,358

-35.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$29.4K A$42.3K

-27.04%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$81.6 A$117

-35.31%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$49.61 A$71.4

-11.67%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$120 A$173

-29.59%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$134 A$193

-23.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,420 A$2,044

34.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,166 A$1,678

9.23%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,832 A$2,637

99.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,824 A$2,625

39.15%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,126 A$7,377

48.52%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,496 A$7,909

-42.56%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 12, 2026

Last update for Pakenham: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Pakenham

$1.2K 46.1% 8.5% $108

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Pakenham

$372 14.7% 8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Pakenham

$318 12.6% 11.2% $40

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Pakenham

$312 12.3% 11.8% $42

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Pakenham

$174 6.9% 35.6% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Pakenham

$80 3.2% 6.4% $5.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Pakenham

$109 4.3% 85.1% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,420 in Pakenham. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $83.0 in Pakenham for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $372 per month, with Pakenham cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Pakenham

🕒 Local time

15:46 3:46 PM

07:46 7:46 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

54,118

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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

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Between locations

Austin, TX Pakenham 14,240 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Pakenham

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 Pakenham: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Pakenham wins on cost – living expenses run 5% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Pakenham the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,797 in Pakenham 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 $1,420 in Pakenham. 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 $2,532 in Pakenham – a 5% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Pakenham runs roughly 109% 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 $2,000. Pakenham 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 Pakenham 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 Pakenham gentler on the wallet – expenses run 5% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.