Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Cairns and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Cairns: $2,529 a month against $2,704 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,100 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Cairns
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Cairns Living Index
129

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

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Cairns

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,529

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,529 in Cairns versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Cairns $2,529
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,731 in Cairns versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Cairns $3,731
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,933 in Cairns versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Cairns $4,933
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Cairns 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: Cairns 89% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.69 A$25.40

$20.22 $20.22

-12.51%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$97.6 A$140

$85.0 $85.0

14.77%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.79 A$18.37

$12.35 $12.35

3.56%

Cappuccino

$4.32 A$6.20

$5.47 $5.47

-21.02%

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

$3.14 A$4.51

$3.82 $3.82

-17.80%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.74 A$3.93

$2.50 $2.50

9.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.84 A$9.83

$8.06 $8.06

-15.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.34 A$11.98

$8.99 $8.99

-7.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.94 A$2.79

$1.13 $1.13

71.68%

White Bread (500g)

$2.63 A$3.78

$3.78 $3.78

-30.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$3.25 $3.25

-20.92%

Eggs

$5.39 A$7.74

$4.14 $4.14

30.19%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.17 A$13.17

$13.08 $13.08

-29.89%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.48 A$19.36

$14.31 $14.31

-5.80%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.26 A$21.91

$15.96 $15.96

-4.39%

Apples (1kg)

$4.17 A$6.00

$4.38 $4.38

-4.79%

Banana (1kg)

$2.75 A$3.95

$1.45 $1.45

89.66%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.54 A$5.08

$4.54 $4.54

-22.03%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.65 A$8.11

$4.19 $4.19

34.84%

Potato (1kg)

$2.56 A$3.68

$2.63 $2.63

-2.66%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$2.36 $2.36

9.32%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.71 A$3.89

$1.76 $1.76

53.98%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.59 A$3.72

$2.16 $2.16

19.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.78 A$62.9

$9.81 $9.81

346.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.96 A$20.05

$14.72 $14.72

-5.16%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.55 A$5.10

$2.78 $2.78

27.70%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.22 A$7.49

$3.48 $3.48

50.00%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.56 A$5.12

$1.49 $1.49

138.93%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$15.43 A$22.16

$40.51 $40.51

-61.91%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.65 A$3.81

$2.67 $2.67

-0.75%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.96 A$2.82

$1.58 $1.58

24.05%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.21 A$60.6

$35.29 $35.29

19.61%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.28 A$1.84

$0.99 $0.99

29.29%

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

$31.3K A$45.0K

$35.8K $35.8K

-12.49%

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

$40.8K A$58.6K

$27.2K $27.2K

50.23%

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

$164 A$235

$219 $219

-25.36%

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

$34.95 A$50.2

$58.0 $58.0

-39.73%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$65.0 A$93.3

$68.4 $68.4

-4.97%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.38 A$63.7

$57.9 $57.9

-23.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.37 A$39.31

$14.82 $14.82

84.68%

Cinema Ticket

$13.97 A$20.07

$14.13 $14.13

-1.13%

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

$2,069 A$2,972

$1,509 $1,509

37.09%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$14.2K A$20.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-33.98%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$89.1 A$128

$51.7 $51.7

72.40%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$71.7 A$103

$44.05 $44.05

62.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$122 A$175

$85.1 $85.1

43.17%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$105 $105

22.79%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,466 A$2,106

$1,932 $1,932

-24.14%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,223 A$1,757

$1,272 $1,272

-3.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,250 A$3,232

$3,670 $3,670

-38.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,944 A$2,793

$2,525 $2,525

-22.99%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,629 A$9,523

$7,617 $7,617

-12.97%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,015 A$7,204

$3,199 $3,199

56.75%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,289 A$6,160

$5,105 $5,105

-15.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.32

6.79

-6.92%

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

Last update for Cairns: October 5, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Cairns

$1.2K 48.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 4% $49

Groceries & Markets

Cairns

$409 16.3%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 1.5% $6

Eating Out

Cairns

$306 12.2%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 13.7% $42

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Cairns

$264 10.5%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 31.1% $82

Clothing & Footwear

Cairns

$185 7.4%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 30.5% $57

Sport & Entertainment

Cairns

$72 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 19.1% $14

Getting Around

Cairns

$42 1.7%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 35.3% $15

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,466 in Cairns and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 19% 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: $98.0 in Cairns vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $409 vs $403 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Cairns

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

17:19 5:19 PM

02:19 2:19 AM

15 h behind Cairns

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

153,181

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.696 USD

1 AUD = 0.621 EUR

1 USD = 0.892 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 10, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.696 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.621 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 10, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.892 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Cairns Austin, TX 13,460 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Cairns
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

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

Cairns wins on cost – living expenses run 7% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Cairns the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 19% 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: $1,466 in Cairns versus $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,529 per month in Cairns versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 7% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Cairns runs roughly 163% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Cairns is the more realistic option, but even there you'll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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, Cairns 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 Cairns gentler on the wallet – expenses run 7% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.