Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Rockhampton

For one person, living is cheaper in Rockhampton: $1,985 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,100 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
96

Cost of Living Index in Rockhampton
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Rockhampton Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Rockhampton

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,985

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,985 in Rockhampton.

Austin, TX $2,663
Rockhampton $1,985

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,201 in Rockhampton.

Austin, TX $4,133
Rockhampton $3,201

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,418 in Rockhampton.

Austin, TX $5,603
Rockhampton $4,418

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 34% more expensive than in Rockhampton, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Rockhampton 47% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$20.54 A$29.56

1.12%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$84.7 A$122

-0.09%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.68 A$13.92

27.27%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$5.00 A$7.19

12.60%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.37 A$3.41

56.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.70 A$3.89

-7.41%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$7.82 A$11.26

2.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$6.22 A$8.95

44.86%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$2.24 A$3.23

-50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.20 A$3.17

70.45%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$2.08 A$2.99

56.73%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$3.65 A$5.26

14.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$6.65 A$9.57

93.98%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$10.88 A$15.65

30.15%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.71 A$22.60

3.25%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.68 A$3.85

61.57%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.13 A$3.07

-31.46%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.86 A$2.67

142.47%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.69 A$6.75

-7.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.05 A$2.94

25.85%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.26 A$3.26

3.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$1.87 A$2.69

-4.81%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.14 A$3.08

3.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$37.22 A$53.6

-73.46%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$15.19 A$21.86

-0.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$3.32 A$4.78

-12.05%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$6.00 A$8.63

-42.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.66 A$2.38

-10.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$64.7 A$93.1

-35.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.37 A$4.85

-18.99%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.84 A$2.64

-9.78%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$39.56 A$56.9

-10.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.25 A$1.79

-24.00%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$29.3K A$42.1K

23.21%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.8K A$32.8K

18.87%

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

$229 $229

$206 A$296

11.38%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$23.90 A$34.39

148.49%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$66.9 A$96.3

4.50%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$40.23 A$57.9

42.28%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$13.72 A$19.74

19.02%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.72 A$22.62

-9.16%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$1,739 A$2,502

-13.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,479 A$9,323

231.17%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$123 A$177

-57.11%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$60.2 A$86.7

-27.25%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$142 A$204

-40.21%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$61.5 A$88.5

67.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$817 A$1,175

133.56%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$685 A$985

86.08%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,631 A$2,347

124.63%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,514 A$2,179

67.62%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,321 A$4,779

54.20%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.27

8.29%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Rockhampton: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Rockhampton

$685 34.5% 46.3% $589

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Rockhampton

$349 17.6% 13.8% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Rockhampton

$296 14.9% 17.3% $62

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Rockhampton

$325 16.4% 8.1% $29

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Rockhampton

$174 8.8% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Rockhampton

$72 3.6% 16.5% $14

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Rockhampton

$84 4.2% 42.9% $25

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $817 in Rockhampton. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% 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 $85.0 in Rockhampton. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $349, with Rockhampton cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Rockhampton

🕒 Local time

00:25 12:25 AM

15:25 3:25 PM

15 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

63,151

💱 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 19, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 19, 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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Austin, TX Rockhampton 13,300 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Rockhampton

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 Rockhampton: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Rockhampton wins on cost – living expenses run 34% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Rockhampton the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 54% 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: $1,907 in Austin, TX versus $817 in Rockhampton. 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 $1,985 in Rockhampton – a 34% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Rockhampton runs roughly 55% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,985 in Rockhampton versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Rockhampton but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton 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 Rockhampton gentler on the wallet – expenses run 34% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.