Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Whanganui

For one person, living is cheaper in Whanganui: $1,854 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,700 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
90

Cost of Living Index in Whanganui
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Whanganui Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Whanganui

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,854

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $1,854 in Whanganui.

Austin, TX $2,663
Whanganui $1,854

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,133 in Austin, TX versus $2,785 in Whanganui.

Austin, TX $4,133
Whanganui $2,785

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,603 in Austin, TX versus $3,715 in Whanganui.

Austin, TX $5,603
Whanganui $3,715

Living in Austin, TX is roughly 44% more expensive than in Whanganui, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 97% above, Whanganui 37% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.77 $20.77

$12.16 NZ$21.51

70.81%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.6 $84.6

$73.2 NZ$129

15.53%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.32 $12.32

$8.24 NZ$14.58

49.51%

Cappuccino

$5.63 $5.63

$3.30 NZ$5.83

70.61%

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

$3.72 $3.72

$2.17 NZ$3.84

71.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.50 $2.50

$1.97 NZ$3.49

26.90%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.05 $8.05

$5.62 NZ$9.93

43.24%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.01 $9.01

$5.38 NZ$9.51

67.47%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.30 NZ$2.30

-13.85%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$0.92 NZ$1.63

307.61%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.26 $3.26

$1.13 NZ$2.00

188.50%

Eggs

$4.17 $4.17

$5.26 NZ$9.30

-20.72%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.90 $12.90

$5.62 NZ$9.95

129.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$14.16 $14.16

$7.40 NZ$13.08

91.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.22 $16.22

$11.62 NZ$20.56

39.59%

Apples (1kg)

$4.33 $4.33

$2.28 NZ$4.03

89.91%

Banana (1kg)

$1.46 $1.46

$1.94 NZ$3.43

-24.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.51 $4.51

$1.88 NZ$3.32

139.89%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.34 $4.34

$3.44 NZ$6.08

26.16%

Potato (1kg)

$2.58 $2.58

$1.67 NZ$2.96

54.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.30 NZ$2.31

80.77%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.78 $1.78

$2.12 NZ$3.74

-16.04%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.22 $2.22

$0.51 NZ$0.91

335.29%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$9.88 $9.88

$22.63 NZ$40.02

-56.34%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.08 $15.08

$9.81 NZ$17.35

53.72%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.92 $2.92

$2.46 NZ$4.36

18.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.46 $3.46

$2.26 NZ$4.00

53.10%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.49 $1.49

$1.79 NZ$3.17

-16.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

$86.1 NZ$152

-51.52%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.73 $2.73

$3.58 NZ$6.34

-23.74%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.66 $1.66

$1.72 NZ$3.04

-3.49%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.30 $35.30

$26.21 NZ$46.36

34.68%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.95 $0.95

$1.61 NZ$2.85

-40.99%

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

$36.0K $36.0K

$27.0K NZ$47.7K

33.60%

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

$27.1K $27.1K

$22.8K NZ$40.4K

18.63%

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

$229 $229

$197 NZ$349

16.14%

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

$59.4 $59.4

$32.22 NZ$57.0

84.33%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.9 $69.9

$47.49 NZ$84.0

47.21%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 $57.2

$38.33 NZ$67.8

49.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$14.28 $14.28

$5.53 NZ$9.78

158.23%

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

$1,506 $1,506

$655 NZ$1,158

129.89%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

$22.6K NZ$40.0K

-5.09%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.8 $52.8

$61.8 NZ$109

-14.57%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.82 $43.82

$38.24 NZ$67.6

14.59%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$84.8 $84.8

$94.0 NZ$166

-9.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$103 $103

$105 NZ$186

-2.20%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,907 $1,907

$960 NZ$1,697

98.75%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,274 $1,274

$828 NZ$1,464

53.95%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,664 $3,664

$1,603 NZ$2,834

128.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,538 $2,538

$1,431 NZ$2,531

77.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,614 $7,614

$5,235 NZ$9,259

45.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,157 $3,157

$3,097 NZ$5,477

1.95%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.79

6.8

-0.15%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Last update for Whanganui: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8%

Whanganui

$828 44.7% 35% $446

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$405 15.2%

Whanganui

$243 13.1% 40% $162

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$358 13.5%

Whanganui

$277 14.9% 22.7% $81

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$354 13.3%

Whanganui

$217 11.7% 38.7% $137

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$128 4.8%

Whanganui

$135 7.3% 5.3% $6.8

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$86 3.2%

Whanganui

$49 2.7% 42.4% $36

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$59 2.2%

Whanganui

$105 5.7% 79.6% $47

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,907 in Austin, TX and $960 in Whanganui. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Austin, TX vs $73.0 in Whanganui for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $405 vs $243 per month, with Whanganui cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇳🇿 Whanganui

🕒 Local time

17:46 5:46 PM

11:46 11:46 AM

18 h ahead of Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

42,300

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

NZD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

NZD to USD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Austin, TX Whanganui 11,890 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Whanganui

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 Whanganui: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Whanganui wins on cost – living expenses run 44% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Whanganui the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,995 in Austin, TX and $2,781 in Whanganui 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 $960 in Whanganui. 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 $1,854 in Whanganui – a 44% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Whanganui runs roughly 106% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,854 in Whanganui versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Whanganui but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Whanganui 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 Whanganui 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 Whanganui gentler on the wallet – expenses run 44% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.