Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forbes and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Forbes and in Austin, TX: $2,543 and $2,607 a month, rent and utilities included.

122

Cost of Living Index in Forbes
Learn more

Forbes Living Index
125

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Forbes

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,543

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,607

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,543 in Forbes versus $2,607 in Austin, TX.

Forbes $2,543
Austin, TX $2,607

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,751 in Forbes versus $4,031 in Austin, TX.

Forbes $3,751
Austin, TX $4,031

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,958 in Forbes versus $5,454 in Austin, TX.

Forbes $4,958
Austin, TX $5,454

Living in Forbes costs roughly 2% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forbes 87% above, Austin, TX 92% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$15.91 A$22.61

$20.35 $20.35

-21.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$94.9 A$135

$84.7 $84.7

12.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.31 A$16.07

$12.12 $12.12

-6.68%

Cappuccino

$3.52 A$5.00

$5.65 $5.65

-37.70%

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

$2.99 A$4.24

$3.68 $3.68

-18.75%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.37 A$3.37

$2.36 $2.36

0.42%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.98 A$9.92

$7.87 $7.87

-11.31%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.40 A$10.52

$8.82 $8.82

-16.10%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.69 A$2.41

$1.14 $1.14

48.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.42 A$3.44

$3.69 $3.69

-34.42%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.04

$3.31 $3.31

-35.35%

Eggs

$5.00 A$7.10

$4.15 $4.15

20.48%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.16 A$14.44

$12.98 $12.98

-21.73%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.52 A$13.53

$13.86 $13.86

-31.31%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.72 A$19.49

$16.34 $16.34

-16.03%

Apples (1kg)

$3.78 A$5.37

$4.69 $4.69

-19.40%

Banana (1kg)

$3.01 A$4.27

$1.45 $1.45

107.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.55 A$5.05

$5.11 $5.11

-30.53%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.92 A$6.99

$4.52 $4.52

8.85%

Potato (1kg)

$2.50 A$3.55

$3.08 $3.08

-18.83%

Onion (1kg)

$2.55 A$3.63

$2.38 $2.38

7.14%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.28 A$3.24

$1.80 $1.80

26.67%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.45 A$2.06

$2.22 $2.22

-34.68%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.43 A$66.0

$9.97 $9.97

365.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.36 A$17.57

$15.05 $15.05

-17.87%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.75 A$6.75

$2.91 $2.91

63.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.80 A$8.24

$3.33 $3.33

74.17%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.66 A$3.78

$1.22 $1.22

118.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$78.5 A$111

$40.53 $40.53

93.58%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.70 A$5.26

$2.78 $2.78

33.09%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.72 A$2.45

$1.65 $1.65

4.24%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$45.70 A$64.9

$35.39 $35.39

29.13%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.25 A$1.78

$0.95 $0.95

31.58%

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

$33.8K A$48.1K

$34.2K $34.2K

-1.11%

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

$28.1K A$40.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

5.17%

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

$195 A$277

$223 $223

-12.60%

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

$23.66 A$33.62

$58.5 $58.5

-59.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$53.4 A$75.8

$71.2 $71.2

-25.00%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$59.1 A$84.0

$53.0 $53.0

11.44%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.72 A$28.02

$16.75 $16.75

17.73%

Cinema Ticket

$12.05 A$17.13

$14.06 $14.06

-14.30%

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

$2,301 A$3,269

$1,459 $1,459

57.69%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.3K A$30.3K

$21.3K $21.3K

-0.07%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.6 A$115

$52.5 $52.5

53.59%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.7 A$80.6

$42.75 $42.75

32.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$117 A$166

$86.4 $86.4

34.86%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$124 A$176

$104 $104

19.35%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,558 A$2,213

$2,112 $2,112

-26.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,278 A$1,816

$1,230 $1,230

3.85%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,463 A$3,499

$3,863 $3,863

-36.25%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,041 A$2,901

$2,407 $2,407

-15.18%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,428

$7,426 $7,426

-29.60%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,146 A$7,312

$3,060 $3,060

68.17%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,179 $5,179

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.9

6.82

-13.49%

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

Last update for Forbes: October 27, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 26, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Forbes

$1.3K 50.3%

Austin, TX

$1.2K 47.2% 3.7% $47

Groceries & Markets

Forbes

$364 14.3%

Austin, TX

$410 15.7% 12.6% $46

Eating Out

Forbes

$275 10.8%

Austin, TX

$348 13.4% 26.8% $74

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forbes

$272 10.7%

Austin, TX

$353 13.5% 29.7% $81

Clothing & Footwear

Forbes

$170 6.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.9% 24.4% $42

Getting Around

Forbes

$101 4%

Austin, TX

$56 2.2% 44.3% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Forbes

$83 3.3%

Austin, TX

$81 3.1% 2.5% $2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,558 in Forbes and $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $95 in Forbes vs $85 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $364 vs $410, with Forbes cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forbes

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:34 4:34 AM

12:34 12:34 PM

16 h behind Forbes

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,481

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.704 USD

1 AUD = 0.632 EUR

1 USD = 0.898 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 28, 2026: 1 USD = 1.42 AUD (1 AUD = 0.704 USD). 1 EUR = 1.58 AUD (1 AUD = 0.632 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 28, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.11 USD (1 USD = 0.898 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Forbes Austin, TX 13,900 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Forbes
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

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

Forbes wins on cost – living expenses run 2% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Forbes the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You’d need roughly $3,814 in Forbes and $3,911 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,558 in Forbes versus $2,112 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you’ll spend $2,543 per month in Forbes versus $2,607 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 48% less than in Forbes. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you’re watching your budget.

Either city works on $3,000 a month, though Forbes gives you more room to save. At this income level, the choice is more about lifestyle than financial pressure.