Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Katoomba and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Katoomba: $2,363 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $3,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

121

Cost of Living Index in Katoomba
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Katoomba Living Index
130

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

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Katoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,363

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,363 in Katoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Katoomba $2,363
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,564 in Katoomba versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Katoomba $3,564
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,765 in Katoomba versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Katoomba $4,765
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Katoomba costs roughly 11% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Katoomba 75% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.45 A$25.12

$20.77 $20.77

-15.98%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$84.7 A$122

$84.6 $84.6

0.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.59 A$15.24

$12.32 $12.32

-14.04%

Cappuccino

$3.04 A$4.38

$5.63 $5.63

-46.00%

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

$2.71 A$3.90

$3.72 $3.72

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.50 $2.50

-14.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.33 A$9.11

$8.05 $8.05

-21.37%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.32 A$11.98

$9.01 $9.01

-7.66%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.28

$1.12 $1.12

41.07%

White Bread (500g)

$3.18 A$4.57

$3.75 $3.75

-15.20%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.63 A$3.78

$3.26 $3.26

-19.33%

Eggs

$5.11 A$7.36

$4.17 $4.17

22.54%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.16 A$18.93

$12.90 $12.90

2.02%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.11 A$14.54

$14.16 $14.16

-28.60%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.30 A$22.02

$16.22 $16.22

-5.67%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.66

$4.33 $4.33

-9.24%

Banana (1kg)

$3.22 A$4.63

$1.46 $1.46

120.55%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.57 A$5.13

$4.51 $4.51

-20.84%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.35 A$7.70

$4.34 $4.34

23.27%

Potato (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$2.58 $2.58

19.38%

Onion (1kg)

$2.85 A$4.10

$2.35 $2.35

21.28%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.47 A$3.56

$1.78 $1.78

38.76%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.40 A$2.01

$2.22 $2.22

-36.94%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.21 A$63.6

$9.88 $9.88

347.47%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.93 A$20.05

$15.08 $15.08

-7.63%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.63 A$6.66

$2.92 $2.92

58.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.66 A$8.14

$3.46 $3.46

63.58%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.12 A$4.49

$1.49 $1.49

109.40%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$69.3 A$99.8

$41.72 $41.72

66.16%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.93 A$5.65

$2.73 $2.73

43.96%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.66 $1.66

-6.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$43.69 A$62.9

$35.30 $35.30

23.77%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.97

$0.95 $0.95

44.21%

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

$26.5K A$38.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-26.58%

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

$29.5K A$42.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

8.79%

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

$185 A$266

$229 $229

-19.36%

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

$26.51 A$38.15

$59.4 $59.4

-55.36%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$56.1 A$80.7

$69.9 $69.9

-19.74%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.7 A$80.1

$57.2 $57.2

-2.74%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$15.43 A$22.20

$16.33 $16.33

-5.51%

Cinema Ticket

$15.93 A$22.93

$14.28 $14.28

11.55%

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

$2,355 A$3,389

$1,506 $1,506

56.41%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.0K A$28.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-7.00%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$74.9 A$108

$52.8 $52.8

41.75%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$56.5 A$81.2

$43.82 $43.82

28.82%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$109 A$157

$84.8 $84.8

28.39%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$131 A$189

$103 $103

27.24%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,392 A$2,003

$1,907 $1,907

-27.02%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,074 A$1,545

$1,274 $1,274

-15.73%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,239 A$3,222

$3,664 $3,664

-38.90%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,831 A$2,634

$2,538 $2,538

-27.88%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,035 A$7,246

$7,614 $7,614

-33.87%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,173 A$7,444

$3,157 $3,157

63.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

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 Katoomba: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Katoomba

$1.1K 45.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 18.7% $200

Groceries & Markets

Katoomba

$398 16.9%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 1.5% $6.1

Eating Out

Katoomba

$276 11.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 28.4% $78

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Katoomba

$267 11.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 34.1% $91

Clothing & Footwear

Katoomba

$167 7.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 23.4% $39

Getting Around

Katoomba

$93 4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 37.2% $35

Sport & Entertainment

Katoomba

$88 3.7%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 2% $1.7

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,392 in Katoomba and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $85.0 in Katoomba vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $398 vs $405 per month, with Katoomba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Katoomba

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:40 4:40 AM

12:40 12:40 PM

16 h behind Katoomba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

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 →

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Between locations

Katoomba Austin, TX 13,700 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Katoomba
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

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

Katoomba wins on cost – living expenses run 13% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Katoomba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $3,545 in Katoomba 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: $1,392 in Katoomba 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 $2,363 per month in Katoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 13% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Katoomba runs roughly 66% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,363 in Katoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Katoomba but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Katoomba 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, Katoomba 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 Katoomba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 13% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.