Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Sydney

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,607 a month against $3,267 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $7,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
157

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,267

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,607 in Austin, TX versus $3,267 in Sydney.

Austin, TX $2,607
Sydney $3,267

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,031 in Austin, TX versus $4,847 in Sydney.

Austin, TX $4,031
Sydney $4,847

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,454 in Austin, TX versus $6,428 in Sydney.

Austin, TX $5,454
Sydney $6,428

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 20% less than in Sydney, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 92% above, Sydney 140% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.35 $20.35

$17.50 A$24.88

16.29%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 $84.7

$90.4 A$128

-6.25%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 $12.12

$11.96 A$17.00

1.34%

Cappuccino

$5.65 $5.65

$4.00 A$5.69

41.25%

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

$3.68 $3.68

$2.81 A$4.00

30.96%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.36 $2.36

$2.22 A$3.16

6.31%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.87 $7.87

$8.13 A$11.57

-3.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.82 $8.82

$7.20 A$10.24

22.50%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.14 $1.14

$1.70 A$2.42

-32.94%

White Bread (500g)

$3.69 $3.69

$2.94 A$4.18

25.51%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.31 $3.31

$2.51 A$3.58

31.87%

Eggs

$4.15 $4.15

$5.66 A$8.05

-26.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.98 $12.98

$12.22 A$17.37

6.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.86 $13.86

$9.31 A$13.24

48.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.34 $16.34

$16.87 A$23.99

-3.14%

Apples (1kg)

$4.69 $4.69

$3.90 A$5.55

20.26%

Banana (1kg)

$1.45 $1.45

$3.22 A$4.58

-54.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$5.11 $5.11

$3.43 A$4.88

48.98%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$4.33 A$6.16

4.39%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 $3.08

$3.35 A$4.76

-8.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.38 $2.38

$2.40 A$3.41

-0.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.80 $1.80

$2.34 A$3.33

-23.08%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.16 A$1.65

91.38%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.97 $9.97

$45.47 A$64.7

-78.07%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.05 $15.05

$13.99 A$19.89

7.58%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.91 $2.91

$4.11 A$5.84

-29.20%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.33 $3.33

$4.18 A$5.94

-20.33%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.22 $1.22

$3.12 A$4.44

-60.90%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.53 $40.53

$152 A$216

-73.30%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.78 $2.78

$3.46 A$4.92

-19.65%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.65 $1.65

$1.56 A$2.22

5.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.39 $35.39

$39.54 A$56.2

-10.50%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.45 A$2.06

-34.48%

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

$34.2K $34.2K

$29.9K A$42.5K

14.38%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$27.5K A$39.1K

-2.74%

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

$223 $223

$251 A$357

-11.10%

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

$58.5 $58.5

$27.76 A$39.47

110.66%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$71.2 $71.2

$58.0 A$82.5

22.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$53.0 $53.0

$70.7 A$100

-24.95%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.75 $16.75

$23.25 A$33.06

-27.96%

Cinema Ticket

$14.06 $14.06

$17.83 A$25.35

-21.14%

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

$1,459 $1,459

$2,358 A$3,353

-38.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K $21.3K

$27.2K A$38.7K

-21.47%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.5 $52.5

$80.5 A$114

-34.77%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$42.75 $42.75

$69.3 A$98.5

-38.31%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$86.4 $86.4

$111 A$157

-21.94%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$104 $104

$127 A$181

-18.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,112 $2,112

$2,566 A$3,648

-17.70%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,230 $1,230

$1,792 A$2,549

-31.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,863 $3,863

$5,202 A$7,396

-25.74%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,407 $2,407

$3,156 A$4,488

-23.75%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,426 $7,426

$13.4K A$19.0K

-44.54%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,060 $3,060

$8,727 A$12.4K

-64.94%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

$4,118 A$5,856

25.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

5.92

15.20%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Last update for Sydney: October 24, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2%

Sydney

$1.8K 54.9% 45.7% $562

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$410 15.7%

Sydney

$382 11.7% 6.7% $28

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$353 13.5%

Sydney

$337 10.3% 4.6% $16

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$348 13.4%

Sydney

$299 9.2% 14.1% $49

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.9%

Sydney

$175 5.3% 35.9% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$81 3.1%

Sydney

$106 3.3% 31% $25

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$56 2.2%

Sydney

$176 5.4% 211% $119

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,112 in Austin, TX and $2,566 in Sydney. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 26% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $85 in Austin, TX vs $90 in Sydney. Groceries flip the comparison at $410 vs $382, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Sydney

🕒 Local time

04:12 4:12 AM

20:12 8:12 PM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

4,840,600

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.899 EUR

1 AUD = 0.703 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 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 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.899 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.703 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Sydney 13,630 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Sydney

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 Sydney: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 20% lower than in Sydney. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 26% 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: $2,112 in Austin, TX versus $2,566 in Sydney. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,607 per month in Austin, TX versus $3,267 in Sydney – a 25% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 73% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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.