Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Toowoomba

For one person, living is cheaper in Toowoomba: $2,110 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
102

Cost of Living Index in Toowoomba
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Toowoomba Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Toowoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,110

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,110 in Toowoomba.

Austin, TX $2,663
Toowoomba $2,110

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,921 in Toowoomba.

Austin, TX $4,133
Toowoomba $2,921

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,732 in Toowoomba.

Austin, TX $5,603
Toowoomba $3,732

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 26% more expensive than in Toowoomba, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Toowoomba 56% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$16.56 A$23.82

25.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$72.1 A$104

17.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$9.30 A$13.38

32.47%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.81 A$5.48

47.77%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.71 A$3.90

37.27%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$2.34 A$3.37

6.84%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$6.78 A$9.75

18.73%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$7.10 A$10.22

26.90%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.50 A$2.16

-25.33%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.27 A$3.27

65.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.94 A$2.80

68.04%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$4.55 A$6.55

-8.35%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$8.62 A$12.40

49.65%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$8.89 A$12.79

59.28%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.73 A$16.87

38.28%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$3.15 A$4.53

37.46%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.79 A$2.58

-18.44%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.37 A$1.97

229.20%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$2.15 A$3.09

101.86%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$2.49 A$3.59

3.61%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$2.23 A$3.20

5.38%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.39 A$3.45

-25.52%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.99 A$1.42

124.24%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$34.77 A$50.0

-71.58%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$13.72 A$19.75

9.91%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$4.59 A$6.60

-36.38%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$6.53 A$9.39

-47.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$3.04 A$4.38

-50.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$2.22 A$3.20

22.97%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.61 A$2.31

3.11%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$34.11 A$49.08

3.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.32 A$1.90

-28.03%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$26.7K A$38.4K

35.08%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$23.3K A$33.5K

16.14%

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

$229 $229

$74.5 A$107

207.41%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$30.11 A$43.33

97.24%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$54.1 A$77.8

29.32%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$41.16 A$59.2

39.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

$17.69 A$25.46

-7.69%

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$13.85 A$19.92

3.10%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$2,039 A$2,934

-26.13%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$6,996 A$10.1K

206.69%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$75.1 A$108

-29.71%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$53.8 A$77.4

-18.55%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$74.8 A$108

13.34%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$122 A$176

-15.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$1,215 A$1,748

57.01%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$1,130 A$1,626

12.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,618 A$2,328

126.46%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,409 A$2,028

80.09%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$3,392 A$4,881

124.46%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$2,674 A$3,847

18.09%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

$3,869 A$5,567

32.36%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

5.69

19.33%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Toowoomba: October 11, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Toowoomba

$1.1K 53.6% 11.3% $144

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Toowoomba

$309 14.6% 23.7% $96

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Toowoomba

$159 7.5% 55.7% $200

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Toowoomba

$274 13% 22.5% $80

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Toowoomba

$147 7% 14.6% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Toowoomba

$69 3.3% 19.7% $17

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Toowoomba

$22 * 1.1% 61.8% $36

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $1,215 in Toowoomba. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 32% 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 $72.0 in Toowoomba for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $309 per month, with Toowoomba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇦🇺 Toowoomba

🕒 Local time

17:01 5:01 PM

08:01 8:01 AM

15 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

108,398

💱 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 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 →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Toowoomba 13,340 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Toowoomba

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 Toowoomba: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Toowoomba wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toowoomba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 32% 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 $1,215 in Toowoomba. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,506 in Austin, TX versus $2,039 in Toowoomba. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Toowoomba – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,110 in Toowoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Toowoomba but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.