Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Canberra and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Canberra and in Austin, TX: $2,791 and $2,704 a month, rent and utilities included.

138

Cost of Living Index in Canberra
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Canberra Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

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Canberra

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,791

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,704

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,791 in Canberra versus $2,704 in Austin, TX.

Canberra $2,791
Austin, TX $2,704

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,958 in Canberra versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Canberra $3,958
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,125 in Canberra versus $5,562 in Austin, TX.

Canberra $5,125
Austin, TX $5,562

Living in Canberra is roughly 3% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Canberra 108% above, Austin, TX 102% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.14 A$24.53

$20.22 $20.22

-15.23%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$88.3 A$126

$85.0 $85.0

3.89%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.50 A$15.03

$12.35 $12.35

-14.98%

Cappuccino

$3.94 A$5.63

$5.47 $5.47

-27.97%

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

$3.17 A$4.54

$3.82 $3.82

-17.02%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.63 A$3.76

$2.50 $2.50

5.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.32 A$11.90

$8.06 $8.06

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.73 A$13.93

$8.99 $8.99

8.23%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.14

$1.13 $1.13

32.74%

White Bread (500g)

$3.21 A$4.60

$3.78 $3.78

-15.08%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.78

$3.25 $3.25

-18.77%

Eggs

$5.25 A$7.51

$4.14 $4.14

26.81%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.07 A$18.71

$13.08 $13.08

-0.08%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.54

$14.31 $14.31

-29.00%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$22.15

$15.96 $15.96

-3.01%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.63

$4.38 $4.38

-10.27%

Banana (1kg)

$3.09 A$4.43

$1.45 $1.45

113.10%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.59 A$5.14

$4.54 $4.54

-20.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.09 A$7.28

$4.19 $4.19

21.48%

Potato (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.36

$2.63 $2.63

15.97%

Onion (1kg)

$2.77 A$3.96

$2.36 $2.36

17.37%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.46 A$3.51

$1.76 $1.76

39.77%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.64 A$2.34

$2.16 $2.16

-24.07%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.29 A$63.4

$9.81 $9.81

351.48%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.17 A$20.28

$14.72 $14.72

-3.74%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.80 A$6.87

$2.78 $2.78

72.66%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.65 A$8.08

$3.48 $3.48

62.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.86 A$4.09

$1.49 $1.49

91.95%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$93.0 A$133

$40.51 $40.51

129.60%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.96 A$5.67

$2.67 $2.67

48.31%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 A$2.33

$1.58 $1.58

3.16%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.39 A$60.7

$35.29 $35.29

20.12%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.87

$0.99 $0.99

32.32%

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

$27.4K A$39.3K

$35.8K $35.8K

-23.35%

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

$29.3K A$41.9K

$27.2K $27.2K

7.76%

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

$179 A$256

$219 $219

-18.32%

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

$26.92 A$38.53

$58.0 $58.0

-53.58%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.9 A$78.5

$68.4 $68.4

-19.72%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$83.2 A$119

$57.9 $57.9

43.64%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$27.11 A$38.80

$14.82 $14.82

82.93%

Cinema Ticket

$15.51 A$22.20

$14.13 $14.13

9.77%

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

$2,382 A$3,410

$1,509 $1,509

57.87%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$28.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-6.70%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$76.6 A$110

$51.7 $51.7

48.24%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.4 A$79.3

$44.05 $44.05

25.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$115 A$164

$85.1 $85.1

34.66%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 A$189

$105 $105

25.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,711 A$2,449

$1,932 $1,932

-11.45%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,467 A$2,100

$1,272 $1,272

15.31%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,098 A$4,433

$3,670 $3,670

-15.59%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,968 A$2,816

$2,525 $2,525

-22.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$11.2K A$16.0K

$7,617 $7,617

46.67%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$7,417 A$10.6K

$3,199 $3,199

131.82%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,310 A$6,168

$5,105 $5,105

-15.57%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.95

6.79

-12.37%

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

Last update for Canberra: October 3, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 5, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Canberra

$1.5K 51.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.2% 13.3% $195

Groceries & Markets

Canberra

$401 14.2%

Austin, TX

$403 15.3% 0.5% $2

Eating Out

Canberra

$300 10.6%

Austin, TX

$348 13.2% 16% $48

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Canberra

$261 9.2%

Austin, TX

$346 13.1% 32.5% $85

Clothing & Footwear

Canberra

$171 6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.9% 24.5% $42

Getting Around

Canberra

$117 4.1%

Austin, TX

$57 2.2% 51.1% $60

Sport & Entertainment

Canberra

$114 4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.3% 24.5% $28

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,711 in Canberra and $1,932 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 18% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88.0 in Canberra vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $401 vs $403, with Canberra cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Canberra

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

16:16 4:16 PM

00:16 12:16 AM

16 h behind Canberra

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

466,566 Capital

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.699 USD

1 AUD = 0.623 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 = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.699 USD). 1 EUR = 1.61 AUD (1 AUD = 0.623 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 →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Canberra Austin, TX 13,860 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Canberra
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Canberra. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 18% 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: $1,711 in Canberra 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 $2,791 per month in Canberra versus $2,704 in Austin, TX – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 130% less than in Canberra. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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, Canberra 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 3% less than in Canberra. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.