Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Mount Isa and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Mount Isa: $2,466 a month against $2,698 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,800 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

120

Cost of Living Index in Mount Isa
Learn more

Mount Isa Living Index
129

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Mount Isa

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,466

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,698

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,466 in Mount Isa versus $2,698 in Austin, TX.

Mount Isa $2,466
Austin, TX $2,698

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,582 in Mount Isa versus $4,160 in Austin, TX.

Mount Isa $3,582
Austin, TX $4,160

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,699 in Mount Isa versus $5,622 in Austin, TX.

Mount Isa $4,699
Austin, TX $5,622

Living in Mount Isa costs roughly 9% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Mount Isa 82% above, Austin, TX 99% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.59 A$25.32

$20.63 $20.63

-14.74%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.5 A$120

$84.6 $84.6

-1.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.30 A$14.82

$12.07 $12.07

-14.66%

Cappuccino

$4.09 A$5.88

$5.48 $5.48

-25.36%

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

$2.83 A$4.08

$3.80 $3.80

-25.53%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.19 A$3.15

$2.47 $2.47

-11.34%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.58 A$10.90

$8.05 $8.05

-5.84%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.88 A$11.34

$8.88 $8.88

-11.26%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.58 A$2.28

$1.11 $1.11

42.34%

White Bread (500g)

$2.66 A$3.82

$3.72 $3.72

-28.49%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.27 A$3.27

$3.37 $3.37

-32.64%

Eggs

$4.88 A$7.03

$4.32 $4.32

12.96%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$9.12 A$13.12

$13.13 $13.13

-30.54%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.46 A$13.62

$14.15 $14.15

-33.14%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.45 A$20.79

$16.33 $16.33

-11.51%

Apples (1kg)

$3.93 A$5.65

$4.55 $4.55

-13.63%

Banana (1kg)

$3.11 A$4.48

$1.46 $1.46

113.01%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.20 A$4.61

$4.71 $4.71

-32.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.67 A$6.72

$4.15 $4.15

12.53%

Potato (1kg)

$2.68 A$3.85

$2.58 $2.58

3.88%

Onion (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.48

$2.35 $2.35

2.98%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.44 A$3.51

$1.77 $1.77

37.85%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.16

$2.14 $2.14

-29.91%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$41.02 A$59.0

$10.10 $10.10

306.14%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$20.00

$15.19 $15.19

-8.49%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.60

$2.82 $2.82

62.77%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.31 A$7.64

$3.44 $3.44

54.36%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.79 A$4.01

$1.54 $1.54

81.17%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$81.0 A$117

$40.99 $40.99

97.51%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.51 A$5.04

$2.80 $2.80

25.36%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.54 A$2.22

$1.60 $1.60

-3.75%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$39.28 A$56.5

$34.34 $34.34

14.39%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.37 A$1.97

$0.94 $0.94

45.74%

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

$26.4K A$38.0K

$34.0K $34.0K

-22.29%

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

$29.9K A$43.0K

$26.8K $26.8K

11.76%

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

$202 A$291

$223 $223

-9.23%

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

$27.99 A$40.27

$58.9 $58.9

-52.48%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$57.2 A$82.4

$70.6 $70.6

-18.91%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$57.7 $57.7

-4.12%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.57 A$25.29

$16.53 $16.53

6.29%

Cinema Ticket

$14.80 A$21.29

$14.26 $14.26

3.79%

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

$2,134 A$3,071

$1,511 $1,511

41.24%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.5K

$20.9K $20.9K

-2.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.6 A$112

$51.3 $51.3

51.43%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 A$79.3

$44.17 $44.17

24.81%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$107 A$154

$87.0 $87.0

22.89%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$123 A$176

$104 $104

17.48%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,395 A$2,007

$1,940 $1,940

-28.10%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,167 A$1,680

$1,316 $1,316

-11.33%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,102 A$3,025

$3,664 $3,664

-42.64%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,785 A$2,568

$2,565 $2,565

-30.42%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,804 A$8,352

$7,354 $7,354

-21.08%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,848 A$6,976

$3,129 $3,129

54.93%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,368 A$6,286

$5,286 $5,286

-17.37%

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 Mount Isa: October 19, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Mount Isa

$1.2K 47.4%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 48.8% 12.8% $149

Groceries & Markets

Mount Isa

$365 14.8%

Austin, TX

$406 15.1% 11.1% $41

Eating Out

Mount Isa

$294 11.9%

Austin, TX

$350 13% 18.9% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Mount Isa

$287 11.7%

Austin, TX

$352 13.1% 22.6% $65

Clothing & Footwear

Mount Isa

$163 6.6%

Austin, TX

$129 4.8% 20.8% $34

Getting Around

Mount Isa

$103 4.2%

Austin, TX

$58 2.2% 44% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Mount Isa

$85 3.4%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 1.5% $1.3

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,395 in Mount Isa and $1,940 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: $84.0 in Mount Isa vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $365 vs $406 per month, with Mount Isa cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Mount Isa

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:45 7:45 AM

16:45 4:45 PM

15 h behind Mount Isa

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

17,936

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 20, 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 20, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Mount Isa Austin, TX 14,230 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Mount Isa
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

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

Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa 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: $1,395 in Mount Isa versus $1,940 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

All in, you'll spend $2,466 per month in Mount Isa versus $2,698 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 Mount Isa runs roughly 98% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,466 in Mount Isa versus $2,698 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Mount Isa but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Mount Isa 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, Mount Isa 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 Mount Isa 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.