Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Balga and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Balga: $2,511 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $1,800 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Austin, TX outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

124

Cost of Living Index in Balga
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Balga Living Index
130

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

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Balga

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,511

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,511 in Balga versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Balga $2,511
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,781 in Balga versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Balga $3,781
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,052 in Balga versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Balga $5,052
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Balga costs roughly 6% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Balga 86% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.89 A$28.62

$20.77 $20.77

-4.24%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.9 A$122

$84.6 $84.6

0.31%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.54 A$15.16

$12.32 $12.32

-14.45%

Cappuccino

$4.47 A$6.43

$5.63 $5.63

-20.60%

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

$2.83 A$4.08

$3.72 $3.72

-23.92%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.21 A$3.18

$2.50 $2.50

-11.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.33 A$11.98

$8.05 $8.05

3.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.48 A$12.21

$9.01 $9.01

-5.88%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.71 A$2.46

$1.12 $1.12

52.68%

White Bread (500g)

$3.14 A$4.52

$3.75 $3.75

-16.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.97 A$2.83

$3.26 $3.26

-39.57%

Eggs

$5.30 A$7.62

$4.17 $4.17

27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.50 A$13.66

$12.90 $12.90

-26.36%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.43 A$13.57

$14.16 $14.16

-33.40%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.90 A$20.00

$16.22 $16.22

-14.30%

Apples (1kg)

$4.60 A$6.61

$4.33 $4.33

6.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.45

$1.46 $1.46

112.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.92

$4.51 $4.51

-24.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.99 A$7.18

$4.34 $4.34

14.98%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.05

$2.58 $2.58

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.84

$2.35 $2.35

-15.74%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.23

$1.78 $1.78

26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.32 A$1.90

$2.22 $2.22

-40.54%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.48 A$59.7

$9.88 $9.88

319.84%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.65 A$18.21

$15.08 $15.08

-16.11%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.32 A$6.21

$2.92 $2.92

47.95%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.55 A$5.11

$3.46 $3.46

2.60%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.62 A$3.77

$1.49 $1.49

75.84%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$73.4 A$106

$41.72 $41.72

75.98%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.57 A$5.14

$2.73 $2.73

30.77%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$2.06

$1.66 $1.66

-13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$41.05 A$59.1

$35.30 $35.30

16.29%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.39 A$2.00

$0.95 $0.95

46.32%

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

$27.0K A$38.8K

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.18%

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

$29.2K A$42.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

7.77%

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

$194 A$279

$229 $229

-15.30%

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

$32.84 A$47.26

$59.4 $59.4

-44.70%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$62.9 A$90.5

$69.9 $69.9

-10.06%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$63.7 A$91.7

$57.2 $57.2

11.29%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.91 A$25.77

$16.33 $16.33

9.68%

Cinema Ticket

$17.18 A$24.72

$14.28 $14.28

20.31%

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

$2,261 A$3,253

$1,506 $1,506

50.14%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.8K A$32.9K

$21.5K $21.5K

6.48%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 A$110

$52.8 $52.8

45.05%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$64.9 A$93.4

$43.82 $43.82

48.17%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$121 A$174

$84.8 $84.8

42.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$165 A$237

$103 $103

59.71%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,321 A$1,901

$1,907 $1,907

-30.72%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,147 A$1,650

$1,274 $1,274

-9.98%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,150 A$3,094

$3,664 $3,664

-41.32%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,981 A$2,851

$2,538 $2,538

-21.94%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,585 A$8,037

$7,614 $7,614

-26.65%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,491 A$7,902

$3,157 $3,157

73.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,320 A$4,778

$5,121 $5,121

-35.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

6.79

-12.96%

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

Last update for Balga: October 10, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Balga

$1.1K 45.7%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 11.1% $127

Groceries & Markets

Balga

$366 14.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 10.5% $38

Eating Out

Balga

$323 12.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.5% $31

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Balga

$290 11.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 23.7% $69

Clothing & Footwear

Balga

$192 7.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 33.4% $64

Sport & Entertainment

Balga

$98 3.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 12.5% $12

Getting Around

Balga

$95 3.8%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 38% $36

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,321 in Balga and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 54% 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 Balga vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $366 vs $405 per month, with Balga cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Balga

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:08 2:08 AM

13:08 1:08 PM

13 h behind Balga

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

12,685

974,447

💱 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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Highest

Between locations

Balga Austin, TX 16,820 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Balga
Austin, TX

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

Balga vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Balga wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Balga the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 54% lower in Austin, TX. That's worth factoring in alongside costs, though remote workers earning in a stronger currency may not notice the difference at all.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,321 in Balga versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,511 per month in Balga versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 6% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Balga runs roughly 76% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,511 in Balga versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Balga but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Balga 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, Balga and Austin, TX 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 Balga gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.