Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and the United States

Name: United States
Address: US

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,542 a month against $2,701 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index
133

Cost of Living Index in the United States
Learn more

United States Living Index

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🇦🇺 Australia

$2,542

/mo nomad

🇺🇸 United States

$2,701

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Australia and in the United States

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in Australia and in the United States actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,542 per month in Australia vs $2,701 in the United States, rent included.

Australia $2,542
United States $2,701

A couple spends around $3,717 per month in Australia vs $3,980 in the United States, rent included.

Australia $3,717
United States $3,980

A family of three spends $4,893 per month in Australia vs $5,258 in the United States, rent included.

Australia $4,893
United States $5,258

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($980–$5,162) than in Australia ($1,646–$3,152), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in Australia is roughly 6% lower than in the United States on average.

Both Australia and the United States are pricier than the global median – Australia by 88%, the United States by 100%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.16 A$24.69

$19.92 $19.92

-13.86%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$81.0 $81.0

3.61%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.20 A$16.12

$12.07 $12.07

-7.21%

Cappuccino

$3.92 A$5.64

$5.55 $5.55

-29.37%

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

$2.83 A$4.07

$2.67 $2.67

5.99%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.30 A$3.31

$2.09 $2.09

10.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.68 A$11.06

$5.96 $5.96

28.86%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.25 A$11.87

$7.76 $7.76

6.31%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.76 A$2.53

$1.05 $1.05

67.62%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$3.55 $3.55

-21.97%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.19 A$3.16

$4.64 $4.64

-52.80%

Eggs

$4.99 A$7.18

$4.18 $4.18

19.38%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.94 A$14.31

$12.76 $12.76

-22.10%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.99

$12.63 $12.63

-28.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.25 A$21.94

$17.22 $17.22

-11.44%

Apples (1kg)

$3.67 A$5.28

$5.15 $5.15

-28.74%

Banana (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$1.64 $1.64

85.98%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.12 A$4.50

$4.46 $4.46

-30.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.56 A$6.56

$4.98 $4.98

-8.43%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 A$4.04

$2.84 $2.84

-1.06%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.44

$3.09 $3.09

-22.65%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.39

$2.19 $2.19

7.31%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.36

$2.27 $2.27

-27.75%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.42 A$55.3

$10.61 $10.61

262.11%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.77 A$19.82

$14.71 $14.71

-6.39%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.69 A$6.75

$2.10 $2.10

123.33%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.08 A$7.31

$3.82 $3.82

32.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.72 A$3.91

$2.35 $2.35

15.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$95.8 A$138

$64.1 $64.1

49.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.54 A$5.10

$3.57 $3.57

-0.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.85 $1.85

-16.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.00 A$57.6

$30.19 $30.19

32.49%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$1.07 $1.07

21.50%

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

$28.2K A$40.5K

$35.3K $35.3K

-20.17%

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

$28.5K A$40.9K

$25.9K $25.9K

9.87%

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

$198 A$285

$217 $217

-8.46%

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

$28.75 A$41.37

$61.4 $61.4

-53.15%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$58.6 A$84.4

$74.4 $74.4

-21.19%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.7 A$81.6

$45.08 $45.08

25.84%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.08 A$27.46

$23.07 $23.07

-17.30%

Cinema Ticket

$15.02 A$21.62

$14.79 $14.79

1.56%

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

$2,154 A$3,099

$1,480 $1,480

45.47%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.9K A$25.8K

$25.5K $25.5K

-29.63%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.0 A$112

$53.0 $53.0

47.06%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.8 A$78.8

$42.75 $42.75

28.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$112 A$161

$94.3 $94.3

18.68%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$179

$115 $115

7.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,540 A$2,215

$1,678 $1,678

-8.25%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,222 A$1,758

$1,313 $1,313

-6.97%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,478 A$3,566

$2,649 $2,649

-6.47%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,930 A$2,778

$2,183 $2,183

-11.57%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$8,153 A$11.7K

$3,374 $3,374

141.66%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$6,053 A$8,711

$2,661 $2,661

127.52%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,944 A$5,676

$4,404 $4,404

-10.43%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.93

6.55

-9.47%

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

Last update for Australia: October 13, 2026

Last update for the United States: October 10, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Australia

$1.2K 48.1%

United States

$1.3K 48.6% 7.5% $92

Groceries & Markets

Australia

$370 14.6%

United States

$411 15.2% 11% $41

Eating Out

Australia

$293 11.5%

United States

$327 12.1% 11.3% $33

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Australia

$286 11.2%

United States

$352 13% 23.4% $67

Clothing & Footwear

Australia

$166 6.5%

United States

$137 5.1% 17.3% $29

Getting Around

Australia

$118 4.6%

United States

$86 3.2% 26.9% $32

Sport & Entertainment

Australia

$87 3.4%

United States

$75 2.8% 14% $12

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,366 in Australia vs $1,609 in the United States. For reference, capital cities sit at $1,716 in Canberra and $2,730 in Washington, DC.

Average salary: $3,849 in Australia vs $4,533 in the United States. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 178% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 18% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Australia

🇺🇸 United States

🕒 Local time

23:52 11:52 PM

08:52 8:52 AM

15 h behind Australia

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

26,473,055

340,110,988

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to AUD – Australian Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

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).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Australia United States 15,000 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

Australia
United States

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

Australia vs United States: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 6% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,609 versus $1,366 in Australia.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.