Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Ballarat and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Ballarat: $1,902 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $9,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

93

Cost of Living Index in Ballarat
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Ballarat Living Index
130

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

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Ballarat

🇦🇺 Australia

$1,902

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Ballarat 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 Ballarat and in Austin, TX actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Ballarat $1,902
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,035 in Ballarat versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Ballarat $3,035
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,168 in Ballarat versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Ballarat $4,168
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Ballarat costs roughly 29% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Ballarat 41% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.70 A$25.47

$20.77 $20.77

-14.78%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$69.9 A$101

$84.6 $84.6

-17.37%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 A$14.78

$12.32 $12.32

-16.64%

Cappuccino

$3.79 A$5.45

$5.63 $5.63

-32.68%

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

$2.95 A$4.24

$3.72 $3.72

-20.70%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.89 A$2.72

$2.50 $2.50

-24.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.06 A$8.72

$8.05 $8.05

-24.72%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.09 A$8.77

$9.01 $9.01

-32.41%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.57 A$2.27

$1.12 $1.12

40.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.65 A$3.82

$3.75 $3.75

-29.33%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.32 A$3.35

$3.26 $3.26

-28.83%

Eggs

$4.09 A$5.88

$4.17 $4.17

-1.92%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.56 A$15.20

$12.90 $12.90

-18.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.96 A$14.33

$14.16 $14.16

-29.66%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.97 A$21.55

$16.22 $16.22

-7.71%

Apples (1kg)

$3.51 A$5.04

$4.33 $4.33

-18.94%

Banana (1kg)

$3.02 A$4.34

$1.46 $1.46

106.85%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$4.51 $4.51

-31.04%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.68 A$6.73

$4.34 $4.34

7.83%

Potato (1kg)

$3.07 A$4.42

$2.58 $2.58

18.99%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$2.35 $2.35

8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.35 A$3.38

$1.78 $1.78

32.02%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.48 A$2.14

$2.22 $2.22

-33.33%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.39 A$49.49

$9.88 $9.88

248.08%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.66 A$18.21

$15.08 $15.08

-16.05%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.31 A$3.33

$2.92 $2.92

-20.89%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.11 A$4.48

$3.46 $3.46

-10.12%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.76 A$3.97

$1.49 $1.49

85.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.9 A$101

$41.72 $41.72

67.43%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.53 A$3.65

$2.73 $2.73

-7.33%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.34 A$1.93

$1.66 $1.66

-19.28%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$26.64 A$38.33

$35.30 $35.30

-24.53%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.18 A$1.70

$0.95 $0.95

24.21%

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

$28.4K A$40.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.12%

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

$26.0K A$37.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

-3.98%

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

$206 A$296

$229 $229

-10.23%

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

$27.76 A$39.95

$59.4 $59.4

-53.26%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.4 A$82.6

$69.9 $69.9

-17.89%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$31.36 A$45.13

$57.2 $57.2

-45.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$11.18 A$16.09

$16.33 $16.33

-31.54%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$22.14

$14.28 $14.28

7.70%

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

$2,144 A$3,085

$1,506 $1,506

42.37%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$30.2K A$43.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

40.73%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.7 A$98.8

$52.8 $52.8

29.99%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$50.1 A$72.2

$43.82 $43.82

14.42%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$99.6 A$143

$84.8 $84.8

17.45%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$103 $103

29.91%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$923 A$1,329

$1,907 $1,907

-51.59%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$671 A$965

$1,274 $1,274

-47.35%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,288 A$1,854

$3,664 $3,664

-64.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,454 A$2,092

$2,538 $2,538

-42.73%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,622 A$6,651

$7,614 $7,614

-39.29%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,449 A$4,963

$3,157 $3,157

9.23%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,136 A$4,512

$5,121 $5,121

-38.77%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.55

6.79

-18.26%

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

Last update for Ballarat: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Ballarat

$671 35.3%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 89.9% $603

Groceries & Markets

Ballarat

$350 18.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 15.5% $54

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Ballarat

$291 15.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 23.2% $68

Eating Out

Ballarat

$280 14.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 26.5% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Ballarat

$158 8.3%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 19.2% $30

Getting Around

Ballarat

$90 4.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 34.9% $31

Sport & Entertainment

Ballarat

$62 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 38.1% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $923 in Ballarat and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 63% 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: $70.0 in Ballarat vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $350 vs $405 per month, with Ballarat cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Ballarat

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:29 4:29 AM

12:29 12:29 PM

16 h behind Ballarat

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

105,348

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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Between locations

Ballarat Austin, TX 14,370 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Ballarat
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

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

Ballarat wins on cost – living expenses run 40% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Ballarat the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 63% 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: $923 in Ballarat 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 $1,902 per month in Ballarat versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 40% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Ballarat runs roughly 67% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,902 in Ballarat versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Ballarat but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Ballarat 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, Ballarat 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 Ballarat gentler on the wallet – expenses run 40% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.