Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Forster and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Forster: $2,456 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

123

Cost of Living Index in Forster
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Forster Living Index
130

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

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Forster

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,456

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,456 in Forster versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Forster $2,456
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,696 in Forster versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Forster $3,696
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,937 in Forster versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Forster $4,937
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Forster costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Forster 82% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.41 A$25.05

$20.77 $20.77

-16.18%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$90.1 A$130

$84.6 $84.6

6.48%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.28 A$14.80

$12.32 $12.32

-16.56%

Cappuccino

$3.93 A$5.66

$5.63 $5.63

-30.20%

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

$2.88 A$4.14

$3.72 $3.72

-22.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.16 A$3.11

$2.50 $2.50

-13.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.11 A$10.23

$8.05 $8.05

-11.68%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.51 A$7.93

$9.01 $9.01

-38.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.68 A$2.42

$1.12 $1.12

50.00%

White Bread (500g)

$2.77 A$3.99

$3.75 $3.75

-26.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.36 A$3.40

$3.26 $3.26

-27.61%

Eggs

$5.41 A$7.78

$4.17 $4.17

29.74%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.05 A$17.34

$12.90 $12.90

-6.59%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.36 A$13.47

$14.16 $14.16

-33.90%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.51 A$23.77

$16.22 $16.22

1.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.91 A$5.63

$4.33 $4.33

-9.70%

Banana (1kg)

$3.24 A$4.66

$1.46 $1.46

121.92%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.45 A$4.96

$4.51 $4.51

-23.50%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.40 A$6.34

$4.34 $4.34

1.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.18 A$4.57

$2.58 $2.58

23.26%

Onion (1kg)

$2.33 A$3.35

$2.35 $2.35

-0.85%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.36 A$3.40

$1.78 $1.78

32.58%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.19 A$1.71

$2.22 $2.22

-46.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.21 A$63.6

$9.88 $9.88

347.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.74 A$19.77

$15.08 $15.08

-8.89%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.87 A$5.56

$2.92 $2.92

32.53%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.46 $3.46

13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.88 A$4.14

$1.49 $1.49

93.29%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.8 A$116

$41.72 $41.72

93.67%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.49 A$5.03

$2.73 $2.73

27.84%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.66 $1.66

-6.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.50 A$58.3

$35.30 $35.30

14.73%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.45 A$2.09

$0.95 $0.95

52.63%

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

$28.7K A$41.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-20.49%

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

$30.0K A$43.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

10.75%

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

$222 A$319

$229 $229

-3.12%

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

$27.32 A$39.31

$59.4 $59.4

-54.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.5 A$81.3

$69.9 $69.9

-19.22%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$57.2 A$82.3

$57.2 $57.2

-0.07%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.94 A$28.69

$16.33 $16.33

22.11%

Cinema Ticket

$17.15 A$24.67

$14.28 $14.28

20.10%

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

$2,227 A$3,205

$1,506 $1,506

47.90%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$27.9K A$40.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

29.96%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$80.0 A$115

$52.8 $52.8

51.56%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.9 A$99.1

$43.82 $43.82

57.23%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$84.8 $84.8

30.53%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$103 $103

30.47%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,533 A$2,206

$1,907 $1,907

-19.61%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,118 A$1,609

$1,274 $1,274

-12.22%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,440 A$3,512

$3,664 $3,664

-33.41%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,911 A$2,750

$2,538 $2,538

-24.72%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,666 A$8,154

$7,614 $7,614

-25.58%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,657 A$8,140

$3,157 $3,157

79.16%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.79

-13.99%

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

Last update for Forster: 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

Forster

$1.1K 45.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 13.9% $156

Groceries & Markets

Forster

$376 15.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 7.7% $29

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Forster

$306 12.4%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 17.2% $53

Eating Out

Forster

$284 11.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 24.6% $70

Clothing & Footwear

Forster

$177 7.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 27.8% $49

Getting Around

Forster

$104 4.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 43.4% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Forster

$91 3.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 6.2% $5.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,533 in Forster and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $90.0 in Forster vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $376 vs $405, with Forster cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Forster

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:16 1:16 AM

09:16 9:16 AM

16 h behind Forster

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

20,554

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 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 18, 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 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

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

From you

Forster
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

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

Forster wins on cost – living expenses run 8% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Forster the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,684 in Forster and $3,995 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: $1,533 in Forster 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 $2,456 per month in Forster versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 8% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Forster runs roughly 94% 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 $3,000. Forster 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, Forster 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 Forster gentler on the wallet – expenses run 8% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.