Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Port Macquarie

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Macquarie: $2,450 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

Austin, TX
🇺🇸 United States
$2,663
/mo nomad
Port Macquarie
🇦🇺 Australia
$2,450
/mo nomad
Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Port Macquarie

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,450 in Port Macquarie.

  • Austin, TX $2,663
  • Port Macquarie $2,450

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,487 in Port Macquarie.

  • Austin, TX $4,133
  • Port Macquarie $3,487

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,525 in Port Macquarie.

  • Austin, TX $5,603
  • Port Macquarie $4,525

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

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Port Macquarie 81% above.

Currency
🍽 Eating Out
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Meal at Budget Restaurant
$20.77 $20.77
$17.73 A$25.39
17.15%
Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range
$84.6 $84.6
$87.3 A$125
-3.08%
Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)
$12.32 $12.32
$10.34 A$14.82
19.15%
Cappuccino
$5.63 $5.63
$3.90 A$5.59
44.36%
Coke/Pepsi/Fanta/Sprite (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.72 $3.72
$2.49 A$3.57
49.40%
Water (0.33 liter bottle)
$2.50 $2.50
$1.67 A$2.39
49.70%
Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)
$8.05 $8.05
$6.19 A$8.87
30.05%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$9.01 $9.01
$6.38 A$9.13
41.22%
🛒 Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Milk (1 liter)
$1.12 $1.12
$2.03 A$2.91
-44.83%
White Bread (500g)
$3.75 $3.75
$2.93 A$4.20
27.99%
Rice (white) (1kg)
$3.26 $3.26
$2.74 A$3.93
18.98%
Eggs
$4.17 $4.17
$5.29 A$7.58
-21.17%
Local Cheese (1kg)
$12.90 $12.90
$5.12 A$7.34
151.95%
Chicken Fillets (1kg)
$14.16 $14.16
$10.57 A$15.15
33.96%
Beef Round Steak (1kg)
$16.22 $16.22
$11.95 A$17.12
35.73%
Apples (1kg)
$4.33 $4.33
$3.14 A$4.50
37.90%
Banana (1kg)
$1.46 $1.46
$4.31 A$6.17
-66.13%
Oranges (1kg)
$4.51 $4.51
$2.40 A$3.43
87.92%
Tomato (1kg)
$4.34 $4.34
$4.95 A$7.09
-12.32%
Potato (1kg)
$2.58 $2.58
$2.39 A$3.42
7.95%
Onion (1kg)
$2.35 $2.35
$2.39 A$3.42
-1.67%
Lettuce (1 head)
$1.78 $1.78
$1.60 A$2.29
11.25%
Water (1.5 liter bottle)
$2.22 $2.22
$1.50 A$2.15
48.00%
Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)
$9.88 $9.88
$42.49 A$60.9
-76.75%
Wine (Bottle)
$15.08 $15.08
$10.41 A$14.91
44.86%
Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)
$2.92 $2.92
$4.13 A$5.92
-29.30%
Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)
$3.46 $3.46
$5.16 A$7.39
-32.95%
🚌 Getting Around
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
One-way Ticket (Public Transport)
$1.49 $1.49
$2.89 A$4.14
-48.44%
Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)
$41.72 $41.72
$80.7 A$116
-48.32%
Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)
$2.73 $2.73
$3.66 A$5.24
-25.41%
Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)
$1.66 $1.66
$1.59 A$2.28
4.40%
Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)
$35.30 $35.30
$42.84 A$61.4
-17.60%
Gasoline (1 liter)
$0.95 $0.95
$1.30 A$1.87
-26.92%
Midsize Hatchback 1.4l (Volkswagen Golf, Toyota Prius, Honda Civic, etc)
$36.0K $36.0K
$26.2K A$37.5K
37.80%
Compact Sedan 1.6l (Toyota Corolla, Mazda3, Kia K4, Hyundai Elantra, etc)
$27.1K $27.1K
$22.0K A$31.5K
23.23%
🧾 Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Utilities for 2 People in 2-bedroom Apartment (Heating, Electricity, Gas, Water, Garbage) (85m2)
$229 $229
$198 A$284
15.63%
SIM Card Monthly Plan (Calls and 10GB+ Data)
$59.4 $59.4
$30.80 A$44.13
92.82%
Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)
$69.9 $69.9
$61.3 A$87.9
13.99%
🎉 Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Gym Membership (Monthly)
$57.2 $57.2
$51.5 A$73.7
11.19%
Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)
$16.33 $16.33
$9.54 A$13.67
71.17%
Cinema Ticket
$14.28 $14.28
$10.92 A$15.64
30.77%
🧸 Childcare & Education
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Preschool or Kindergarten, Full Day, Private, 1 Child (Monthly)
$1,506 $1,506
$1,823 A$2,612
-17.41%
International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)
$21.5K $21.5K
$18.6K A$26.6K
15.66%
👕👟 Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)
$52.8 $52.8
$70.6 A$101
-25.16%
Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)
$43.82 $43.82
$54.9 A$78.6
-20.14%
Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)
$84.8 $84.8
$104 A$149
-18.45%
Men's Leather Business Shoes
$103 $103
$107 A$153
-3.52%
🏠 Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$1,907 $1,907
$1,408 A$2,016
35.49%
1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$1,274 $1,274
$1,201 A$1,721
6.06%
3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)
$3,664 $3,664
$2,133 A$3,055
71.82%
3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)
$2,538 $2,538
$1,693 A$2,426
49.91%
Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)
$7,614 $7,614
$5,785 A$8,287
31.62%
Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)
$3,157 $3,157
$4,938 A$7,074
-36.07%
💵 Salaries & Financials
Austin, TX
Port Macquarie
Difference
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)
$5,121 $5,121
$2,769 A$3,966
84.96%
20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)
6.79
5.33
27.39%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Monthly budget structure
Share of the monthly basket for one person, rent included.
Accommodation & Living
Austin, TX
$1.3K
Port Macquarie
$1.2K 5.7% $73
Groceries & Markets
Austin, TX
$405
Port Macquarie
$350 13.5% $55
Monthly Utilities & Internet
Austin, TX
$358
Port Macquarie
$290 19% $68
Eating Out
Austin, TX
$354
Port Macquarie
$280 20.9% $74
Clothing & Footwear
Austin, TX
$128
Port Macquarie
$151 18.2% $23
Sport & Entertainment
Austin, TX
$86
Port Macquarie
$73 14.5% $12
Getting Around
Austin, TX
$59
Port Macquarie
$104 77% $45

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,408 in Port Macquarie. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 85% 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 $87.0 in Port Macquarie. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $350, with Port Macquarie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know
🇺🇸 Austin, TX
🇦🇺 Port Macquarie
🕒 Local time
16:15 4:15 PM
08:15 8:15 AM
16 h ahead of Austin, TX
🌤 Weather
👥 Population
974,447
47,793
Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.624 EUR).

On the map
Between locations
  • Austin, TX Port Macquarie 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight
From you
  • Austin, TX
  • Port Macquarie

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 Port Macquarie: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions
Which city is more expensive, Austin, TX or Port Macquarie?
Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie the obvious pick if budget is a priority.
Are salaries higher in Austin, TX or in Port Macquarie?
Average pay runs 85% 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 Port Macquarie?
Rent for a central apartment: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $1,408 in Port Macquarie. 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 Port Macquarie?
All in, you'll spend $2,663 per month in Austin, TX versus $2,450 in Port Macquarie – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.
How expensive is transport in Austin, TX compared to Port Macquarie?
A monthly transit pass in Port Macquarie runs roughly 94% 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 $3,000/month in Austin, TX or in Port Macquarie?
At $2,450 in Port Macquarie versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Port Macquarie but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Port Macquarie the clear choice for anyone on this budget.
Which city offers a better quality of life: Austin, TX or Port Macquarie?
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 Port Macquarie?
Safety-wise, Austin, TX and Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie 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.

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