Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Perth

For one person, living is cheaper in Perth: $2,177 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Perth
🇬🇧 United Kingdom
$2,177
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,177 in Perth.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Perth $2,177

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,195 in Perth.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Perth $3,195

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,213 in Perth.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Perth $4,213

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 22% more expensive than in Perth, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Perth 61% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$23.74 £17.81
-12.51%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$80.7 £60.5
4.89%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$15.71 £11.79
-21.58%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$4.07 £3.05
38.33%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.50 £1.87
48.80%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.67 £1.25
49.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$6.32 £4.74
27.37%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$5.77 £4.33
56.15%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$1.39 £1.05
-19.42%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$1.40 £1.05
167.86%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$1.87 £1.40
74.33%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$2.32 £1.74
79.74%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$8.18 £6.14
57.70%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$8.38 £6.29
68.97%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$13.16 £9.87
23.25%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$2.28 £1.71
89.91%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$1.59 £1.19
-8.18%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.47 £1.85
82.59%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$3.26 £2.44
33.13%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$1.48 £1.11
74.32%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$1.76 £1.32
33.52%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.05 £0.79
69.52%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.45 £1.09
53.10%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$20.85 £15.64
-52.61%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$11.06 £8.30
36.35%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$3.02 £2.27
-3.31%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$2.76 £2.07
25.36%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$3.39 £2.55
-56.05%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$97.5 £73.1
-57.20%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$5.19 £3.89
-47.40%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$2.48 £1.86
-33.06%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$23.68 £17.77
49.07%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.93 £1.44
-50.78%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$34.0K £25.5K
5.89%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$40.6K £30.5K
-33.40%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$603 £452
-62.03%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$13.35 £10.01
344.87%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$35.42 £26.57
97.37%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$44.99 £33.76
27.23%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
-
-
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$14.33 £10.75
-0.35%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,194 £895
26.17%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$22.2K £16.7K
-3.34%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$89.3 £67.0
-40.86%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$43.84 £32.89
-0.05%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$67.2 £50.4
26.24%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$137 £103
-24.93%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$693 £520
175.18%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$555 £417
129.36%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$1,195 £897
206.58%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,081 £811
134.83%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$5,006 £3,756
52.09%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$3,895 £2,922
-18.94%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Perth
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,407 £1,806
112.77%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.07
33.93%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Perth: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Perth
$555 56.4% $719
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Perth
$270 33.2% $134
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Perth
$652 81.9% $294
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Perth
$346 2.3% $8.2
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Perth
$152 18.7% $24
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Perth
$74 14.1% $12
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Perth
$129 119% $70

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $693 in Perth. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 113% 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 $81.0 in Perth for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $270 per month, with Perth cheaper across the board.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇬🇧 Perth
🕒 Local time
09:56 9:56 AM
15:56 3:56 PM
6 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
46,660
💱 Currency
Exchange rates and currency converter

GBP, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

British Pound exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 0.75 GBP (1 GBP = 1.33 USD). 1 EUR = 0.843 GBP (1 GBP = 1.19 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Perth 7,500 km ≈ 10 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Perth

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 Perth: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Perth?
Perth wins on cost – living expenses run 22% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Perth the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Perth?
Average pay runs 113% 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.
How much does a 1-bedroom apartment cost in Austin, TX compared to Perth?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $693 in Perth. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.
How much does it cost to live in Austin, TX compared to Perth?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,177 in Perth – a 22% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Perth?
A monthly transit pass in Perth runs roughly 134% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.
Can you live on $2,000/month in Austin, TX or in Perth?
At $2,177 in Perth versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Perth but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Perth the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Perth?
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.
How safe is Austin, TX compared to Perth?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Perth are on par. Petty crime is typical for cities this size, and most residents feel comfortable going about their daily routines in either place.
Which city is more affordable for expats?
Expats usually find Perth gentler on the wallet – expenses run 22% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.

Austin, TX vs other spots: cost of living compared

Similar cities

Show times on the 12-hour clock, temperatures in °F and distances in miles?