Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Margaret River and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Margaret River and in Austin, TX: $2,566 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

124

Cost of Living Index in Margaret River
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Margaret River Living Index
130

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

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Margaret River

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,566

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,566 in Margaret River versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Margaret River $2,566
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,723 in Margaret River versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Margaret River $3,723
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,880 in Margaret River versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Margaret River $4,880
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Margaret River costs roughly 4% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Margaret River 90% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.82 A$28.39

$20.77 $20.77

-4.57%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$82.0 A$117

$84.6 $84.6

-3.12%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.56 A$15.13

$12.32 $12.32

-14.29%

Cappuccino

$4.42 A$6.33

$5.63 $5.63

-21.49%

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

$2.92 A$4.18

$3.72 $3.72

-21.51%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.18 A$3.13

$2.50 $2.50

-12.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.31 A$11.90

$8.05 $8.05

3.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.52 A$12.21

$9.01 $9.01

-5.44%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.72 A$2.46

$1.12 $1.12

53.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.16 A$4.53

$3.75 $3.75

-15.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.98 A$2.84

$3.26 $3.26

-39.26%

Eggs

$5.26 A$7.54

$4.17 $4.17

26.14%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.03 A$12.94

$12.90 $12.90

-30.00%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.00 A$12.90

$14.16 $14.16

-36.44%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.70 A$19.62

$16.22 $16.22

-15.54%

Apples (1kg)

$4.45 A$6.37

$4.33 $4.33

2.77%

Banana (1kg)

$3.10 A$4.44

$1.46 $1.46

112.33%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.42 A$4.90

$4.51 $4.51

-24.17%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 A$7.20

$4.34 $4.34

15.90%

Potato (1kg)

$2.88 A$4.13

$2.58 $2.58

11.63%

Onion (1kg)

$1.92 A$2.75

$2.35 $2.35

-18.30%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.32 A$3.32

$1.78 $1.78

30.34%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.36 A$1.96

$2.22 $2.22

-38.74%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.56 A$61.0

$9.88 $9.88

330.77%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.60 A$18.05

$15.08 $15.08

-16.45%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.22 A$6.05

$2.92 $2.92

44.52%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.43 A$4.91

$3.46 $3.46

-0.87%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.95 A$4.23

$1.49 $1.49

97.99%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.2 A$118

$41.72 $41.72

97.03%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 A$5.13

$2.73 $2.73

31.14%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.44 A$2.07

$1.66 $1.66

-13.25%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.63 A$58.2

$35.30 $35.30

15.10%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.35 A$1.93

$0.95 $0.95

42.11%

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

$27.7K A$39.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-23.20%

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

$29.1K A$41.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

7.39%

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

$197 A$282

$229 $229

-14.06%

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

$32.94 A$47.18

$59.4 $59.4

-44.54%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$64.3 A$92.0

$69.9 $69.9

-8.10%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$56.0 A$80.2

$57.2 $57.2

-2.18%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.38 A$24.89

$16.33 $16.33

6.43%

Cinema Ticket

$17.17 A$24.60

$14.28 $14.28

20.24%

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

$2,306 A$3,304

$1,506 $1,506

53.16%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$22.9K A$32.8K

$21.5K $21.5K

6.56%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.3 A$111

$52.8 $52.8

46.41%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$65.4 A$93.6

$43.82 $43.82

49.16%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$123 A$176

$84.8 $84.8

45.13%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$164 A$234

$103 $103

58.84%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,387 A$1,986

$1,907 $1,907

-27.29%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,199 A$1,718

$1,274 $1,274

-5.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,170 A$3,108

$3,664 $3,664

-40.78%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,825 A$2,614

$2,538 $2,538

-28.12%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,036 A$7,214

$7,614 $7,614

-33.86%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,814 A$6,896

$3,157 $3,157

52.48%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,954 A$4,232

$5,121 $5,121

-42.31%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.91

6.79

-12.96%

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

Last update for Margaret River: October 12, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Margaret River

$1.2K 46.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 6.2% $75

Groceries & Markets

Margaret River

$362 14.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 11.8% $43

Eating Out

Margaret River

$322 12.6%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 9.8% $32

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Margaret River

$294 11.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 21.9% $64

Clothing & Footwear

Margaret River

$193 7.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 33.8% $65

Getting Around

Margaret River

$105 4.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 44% $46

Sport & Entertainment

Margaret River

$90 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 5% $4.5

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,387 in Margaret River and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 73% 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: $82.0 in Margaret River vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $362 vs $405 per month, with Margaret River cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Margaret River

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:25 1:25 AM

12:25 12:25 PM

13 h behind Margaret River

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

8,000

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.625 EUR

1 USD = 0.896 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 13, 2026: 1 USD = 1.43 AUD (1 AUD = 0.698 USD). 1 EUR = 1.6 AUD (1 AUD = 0.625 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.896 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Margaret River Austin, TX 16,910 km ≈ 22 h nonstop flight

From you

Margaret River
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

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

Margaret River wins on cost – living expenses run 4% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Margaret River the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 73% 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: $1,387 in Margaret River 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 $2,566 per month in Margaret River versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 4% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Margaret River runs roughly 97% 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 $2,500. Margaret River 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, Margaret River 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 Margaret River gentler on the wallet – expenses run 4% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.