Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Tarneit

For one person, living is cheaper in Tarneit: $2,472 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 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
120

Cost of Living Index in Tarneit
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Tarneit Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Tarneit

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,472

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,472 in Tarneit.

Austin, TX $2,663
Tarneit $2,472

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $3,612 in Tarneit.

Austin, TX $4,133
Tarneit $3,612

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $4,752 in Tarneit.

Austin, TX $5,603
Tarneit $4,752

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 8% more expensive than in Tarneit, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Tarneit 83% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$17.31 A$24.91

19.99%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$82.3 A$118

2.78%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$12.30 A$17.70

0.16%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$4.02 A$5.79

40.05%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$3.02 A$4.35

23.18%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.45 A$3.53

2.04%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$9.85 A$14.17

-18.27%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$8.19 A$11.78

10.01%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$0.87 A$1.26

28.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$1.21 A$1.74

209.92%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.36 A$1.96

139.71%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.32 A$7.66

-21.62%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$10.28 A$14.79

25.49%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$9.52 A$13.70

48.74%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$15.20 A$21.87

6.71%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$4.02 A$5.79

7.71%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$3.01 A$4.34

-51.50%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$3.26 A$4.69

38.34%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$4.68 A$6.74

-7.26%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.98 A$4.29

-13.42%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.56 A$3.69

-8.20%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.36 A$3.40

-24.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$1.59 A$2.29

39.62%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$44.94 A$64.7

-78.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$12.42 A$17.87

21.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$5.45 A$7.84

-46.42%

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

$2.77 A$3.99

-46.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$90.1 A$130

-53.68%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$4.40 A$6.33

-37.95%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.43 A$2.06

16.08%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$30.10 A$43.31

17.28%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.43 A$2.06

-33.57%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$28.4K A$40.9K

26.96%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$26.4K A$38.0K

2.48%

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

$229 $229

$177 A$254

29.67%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$27.26 A$39.23

117.87%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$56.2 A$80.9

24.31%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$59.1 A$85.1

-3.16%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$19.95 A$28.70

-18.15%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$15.07 A$21.68

-5.24%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,359 A$3,394

-36.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$30.2K A$43.5K

-28.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$81.7 A$117

-35.32%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$48.88 A$70.3

-10.35%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$118 A$170

-28.29%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$132 A$189

-21.77%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,364 A$1,963

39.78%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,176 A$1,693

8.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,841 A$2,650

99.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,829 A$2,632

38.77%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,949 A$8,560

27.98%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$4,433 A$6,380

-28.78%

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 Tarneit: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Tarneit

$1.2K 47.6% 7.7% $98

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Tarneit

$351 14.2% 13.2% $53

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Tarneit

$260 10.5% 27.4% $98

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Tarneit

$311 12.6% 12.1% $43

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Tarneit

$171 6.9% 33.8% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Tarneit

$89 3.6% 4% $3.5

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Tarneit

$113 4.6% 92% $54

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,364 in Tarneit. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $82.0 in Tarneit for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $351 per month, with Tarneit cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Tarneit

🕒 Local time

12:20 12:20 PM

04:20 4:20 AM

16 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

34,562

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 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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Between locations

Austin, TX Tarneit 14,310 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Tarneit

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 Tarneit: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Tarneit wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Tarneit the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $3,708 in Tarneit 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 $1,364 in Tarneit. 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 $2,472 in Tarneit – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Tarneit runs roughly 116% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,472 in Tarneit versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Tarneit but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Tarneit 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 Tarneit 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 Tarneit gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.