Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and South Yarra

For one person, living is cheaper in South Yarra: $2,436 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index
119

Cost of Living Index in South Yarra
Learn more

South Yarra Living Index

Jump to prices

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

South Yarra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,436

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in South Yarra

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,436 in South Yarra.

Austin, TX $2,663
South Yarra $2,436

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,527 in South Yarra.

Austin, TX $4,133
South Yarra $3,527

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,618 in South Yarra.

Austin, TX $5,603
South Yarra $4,618

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 9% more expensive than in South Yarra, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, South Yarra 80% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.64 A$25.39

17.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$84.5 A$122

0.07%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.25 A$11.87

49.33%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.53 A$5.08

59.49%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.07 A$2.98

79.71%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.71 A$2.46

46.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.78 A$14.08

-17.69%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.24 A$11.85

9.34%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.54 A$2.22

-27.27%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.74 A$3.95

36.86%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.41 A$2.03

131.21%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.24 A$6.10

-1.65%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.35 A$14.89

24.64%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$6.94 A$9.99

104.03%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.17 A$21.83

6.92%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.85 A$4.10

51.93%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$2.03 A$2.92

-28.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.36 A$1.95

231.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.80 A$4.03

55.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.41 A$2.03

82.98%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.12 A$3.04

10.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.41 A$3.47

-26.14%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.64 A$2.35

35.37%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$31.82 A$45.79

-68.95%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.30 A$17.69

22.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.70 A$8.20

-48.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$5.26 A$7.56

-34.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$2.92 A$4.20

-48.97%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$81.7 A$118

-48.96%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.47 A$6.43

-38.93%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.42 A$2.05

16.90%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$30.47 A$43.85

15.85%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.31 A$1.88

-27.48%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.4K A$40.9K

26.76%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.6K A$38.2K

1.92%

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

$229 $229

$232 A$334

-1.28%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.31 A$39.30

117.47%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$41.68 A$60.0

67.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$55.2 A$79.4

3.79%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$16.96 A$24.40

-3.71%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.70 A$19.71

4.23%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,417 A$3,478

-37.70%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.4K A$43.7K

-29.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$81.4 A$117

-35.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$50.8 A$73.1

-13.72%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$117 A$168

-27.50%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$132 A$190

-22.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,367 A$1,967

39.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,163 A$1,674

9.53%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$2,109 A$3,035

73.75%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,788 A$2,573

41.97%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,707 A$8,212

33.42%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$5,659 A$8,143

-44.20%

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 South Yarra: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

South Yarra

$1.2K 47.8% 8.7% $111

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

South Yarra

$324 13.3% 19.9% $81

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

South Yarra

$301 12.4% 16% $57

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

South Yarra

$289 11.9% 18.4% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

South Yarra

$172 7% 34.1% $44

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

South Yarra

$83 3.4% 3.8% $3.3

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

South Yarra

$105 4.3% 78.9% $46

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,367 in South Yarra. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $85.0 in South Yarra. Groceries flip the comparison at $405 vs $324, with South Yarra cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 South Yarra

🕒 Local time

19:55 7:55 PM

11:55 11:55 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

25,147

💱 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX South Yarra 14,280 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
South Yarra

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 South Yarra: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

South Yarra 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 South Yarra the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,654 in South Yarra 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 $1,367 in South Yarra. 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 $2,436 in South Yarra – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in South Yarra runs roughly 96% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,436 in South Yarra versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in South Yarra but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes South Yarra 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 South Yarra 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 South Yarra 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.