Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Dandenong and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Dandenong: $2,434 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,700 less a year. Other living expenses account for most of the difference.

116

Cost of Living Index in Dandenong
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Dandenong Living Index
130

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

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Dandenong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,434

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,434 in Dandenong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Dandenong $2,434
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,384 in Dandenong versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Dandenong $3,384
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,335 in Dandenong versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Dandenong $4,335
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Dandenong costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Dandenong 80% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.56 A$25.27

$20.77 $20.77

-15.45%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$53.0 A$76.2

$84.6 $84.6

-37.39%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.12 A$17.44

$12.32 $12.32

-1.62%

Cappuccino

$4.05 A$5.83

$5.63 $5.63

-28.06%

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

$2.29 A$3.29

$3.72 $3.72

-38.44%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.32 A$3.33

$2.50 $2.50

-7.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.63 A$8.10

$8.05 $8.05

-30.06%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.45 A$4.96

$9.01 $9.01

-61.71%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.12 $1.12

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.45 A$3.53

$3.75 $3.75

-34.67%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.48

$3.26 $3.26

-25.77%

Eggs

$5.40 A$7.77

$4.17 $4.17

29.50%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.19 A$11.79

$12.90 $12.90

-36.51%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.61 A$10.95

$14.16 $14.16

-46.26%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.97 A$17.23

$16.22 $16.22

-26.20%

Apples (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.11

$4.33 $4.33

-18.01%

Banana (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.09

$1.46 $1.46

95.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.04

$4.51 $4.51

-53.22%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.04 A$2.93

$4.34 $4.34

-53.00%

Potato (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.03

$2.58 $2.58

-18.22%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.67

$2.35 $2.35

8.51%

Lettuce (1 head)

$0.68 A$0.98

$1.78 $1.78

-61.80%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.62 A$2.32

$2.22 $2.22

-27.03%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.41 A$63.9

$9.88 $9.88

349.49%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.25 A$14.75

$15.08 $15.08

-32.03%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.74 A$8.25

$2.92 $2.92

96.58%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.39 A$4.87

$3.46 $3.46

-2.02%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$4.92 A$7.07

$1.49 $1.49

230.20%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.8 A$100

$41.72 $41.72

67.35%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.40 A$6.33

$2.73 $2.73

61.17%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.43 A$2.05

$1.66 $1.66

-13.86%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$30.22 A$43.49

$35.30 $35.30

-14.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.33 A$1.92

$0.95 $0.95

40.00%

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

$28.3K A$40.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-21.57%

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

$24.0K A$34.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-11.23%

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

$226 A$326

$229 $229

-1.12%

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

$15.83 A$22.77

$59.4 $59.4

-73.35%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$41.54 A$59.8

$69.9 $69.9

-40.58%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$61.1 A$88.0

$57.2 $57.2

6.78%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.38 A$27.89

$16.33 $16.33

18.68%

Cinema Ticket

$15.11 A$21.74

$14.28 $14.28

5.81%

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

$2,349 A$3,380

$1,506 $1,506

55.96%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$29.5K A$42.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

37.55%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$31.50 A$45.33

$52.8 $52.8

-40.35%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$17.58 A$25.30

$43.82 $43.82

-59.88%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$106 A$153

$84.8 $84.8

25.10%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$112 A$162

$103 $103

9.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,216 A$1,749

$1,907 $1,907

-36.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 A$1,793

$1,274 $1,274

-2.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,275 A$3,274

$3,664 $3,664

-37.92%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,821 A$2,620

$2,538 $2,538

-28.27%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,766 A$8,298

$7,614 $7,614

-24.26%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,632 A$8,105

$3,157 $3,157

78.39%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,228 A$6,083

$5,121 $5,121

-17.44%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.79

-13.11%

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

Last update for Dandenong: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Dandenong

$1.2K 51.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 2.3% $28

Groceries & Markets

Dandenong

$313 12.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 29.3% $92

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Dandenong

$284 11.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 26.3% $75

Eating Out

Dandenong

$279 11.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 26.9% $75

Clothing & Footwear

Dandenong

$120 4.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 6.3% $7.6

Getting Around

Dandenong

$101 4.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 41.9% $42

Sport & Entertainment

Dandenong

$91 3.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 6.1% $5.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,216 in Dandenong and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 21% 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: $53.0 in Dandenong vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $313 vs $405 per month, with Dandenong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Dandenong

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

02:43 2:43 AM

10:43 10:43 AM

16 h behind Dandenong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

30,127

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

Dandenong Austin, TX 14,270 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Dandenong
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

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

Dandenong wins on cost – living expenses run 9% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Dandenong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 21% 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: $1,216 in Dandenong 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 $2,434 per month in Dandenong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 9% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Dandenong 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 $2,434 in Dandenong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Dandenong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Dandenong 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, Dandenong 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 Dandenong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 9% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.