Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Noosa Heads and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Noosa Heads and in Austin, TX: $2,636 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

128

Cost of Living Index in Noosa Heads
Learn more

Noosa Heads Living Index
130

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
Learn more

Austin, TX Living Index

Jump to prices

Noosa Heads

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,636

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,636 in Noosa Heads versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Noosa Heads $2,636
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,776 in Noosa Heads versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Noosa Heads $3,776
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,916 in Noosa Heads versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Noosa Heads $4,916
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Noosa Heads costs roughly 1% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Noosa Heads 95% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.30 A$19.14

$20.77 $20.77

-35.97%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.1 A$96.5

$84.6 $84.6

-20.69%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$5.70 A$8.20

$12.32 $12.32

-53.73%

Cappuccino

$3.50 A$5.03

$5.63 $5.63

-37.83%

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

$2.82 A$4.05

$3.72 $3.72

-24.19%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.04 A$2.94

$2.50 $2.50

-18.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$4.14 A$5.96

$8.05 $8.05

-48.57%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.69 A$8.19

$9.01 $9.01

-36.85%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.12 $1.12

39.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.71 A$3.89

$3.75 $3.75

-27.73%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.40 A$2.02

$3.26 $3.26

-57.06%

Eggs

$4.89 A$7.04

$4.17 $4.17

17.27%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.77 A$9.74

$12.90 $12.90

-47.52%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.85 A$12.74

$14.16 $14.16

-37.50%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.34 A$19.20

$16.22 $16.22

-17.76%

Apples (1kg)

$3.90 A$5.61

$4.33 $4.33

-9.93%

Banana (1kg)

$2.70 A$3.88

$1.46 $1.46

84.93%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.09

$4.51 $4.51

-52.55%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.24 A$6.10

$4.34 $4.34

-2.30%

Potato (1kg)

$2.10 A$3.02

$2.58 $2.58

-18.60%

Onion (1kg)

$2.14 A$3.09

$2.35 $2.35

-8.94%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.15 A$3.10

$1.78 $1.78

20.79%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.67 A$0.96

$2.22 $2.22

-69.82%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$38.66 A$55.6

$9.88 $9.88

291.30%

Wine (Bottle)

$12.01 A$17.28

$15.08 $15.08

-20.36%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.84 A$6.96

$2.92 $2.92

65.75%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.16 A$8.87

$3.46 $3.46

78.03%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.84 A$4.08

$1.49 $1.49

90.60%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$87.5 A$126

$41.72 $41.72

109.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.11 A$3.04

$2.73 $2.73

-22.71%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.47 A$2.11

$1.66 $1.66

-11.45%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.19 A$49.21

$35.30 $35.30

-3.14%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.71

$0.95 $0.95

25.26%

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

$27.0K A$38.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.08%

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

$25.0K A$36.0K

$27.1K $27.1K

-7.54%

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

$120 A$172

$229 $229

-47.69%

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

$30.35 A$43.67

$59.4 $59.4

-48.90%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.9 A$74.6

$69.9 $69.9

-25.82%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$40.52 A$58.3

$57.2 $57.2

-29.21%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.46 A$25.13

$16.33 $16.33

6.92%

Cinema Ticket

$13.84 A$19.91

$14.28 $14.28

-3.08%

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

$1,072 A$1,543

$1,506 $1,506

-28.80%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.0K A$17.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-44.11%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$77.7 A$112

$52.8 $52.8

47.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.7 A$78.7

$43.82 $43.82

24.83%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$151

$84.8 $84.8

23.69%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$120 A$173

$103 $103

16.63%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,613 A$2,322

$1,907 $1,907

-15.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,554 A$2,236

$1,274 $1,274

21.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,553 A$3,673

$3,664 $3,664

-30.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,435 A$3,504

$2,538 $2,538

-4.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$6,159 A$8,862

$7,614 $7,614

-19.11%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,968 A$7,150

$3,157 $3,157

57.37%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,064 A$4,410

$5,121 $5,121

-40.16%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

6.79

-16.20%

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

Last update for Noosa Heads: 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

Noosa Heads

$1.6K 59%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 18% $280

Groceries & Markets

Noosa Heads

$326 12.4%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 24.3% $79

Eating Out

Noosa Heads

$217 8.2%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 63.1% $137

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Noosa Heads

$202 7.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 77.4% $156

Clothing & Footwear

Noosa Heads

$161 6.1%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 20.4% $33

Getting Around

Noosa Heads

$108 4.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 45.8% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Noosa Heads

$68 2.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 25.8% $18

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,613 in Noosa Heads and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 67% 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: $67.0 in Noosa Heads vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $326 vs $405 per month, with Noosa Heads cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Noosa Heads

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:37 4:37 AM

13:37 1:37 PM

15 h behind Noosa Heads

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

7,041

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

Lowest

Highest

Between locations

Noosa Heads Austin, TX 13,180 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Noosa Heads
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

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

Noosa Heads wins on cost – living expenses run 1% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Noosa Heads the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 67% 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: $1,613 in Noosa Heads 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 $2,636 per month in Noosa Heads versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 1% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Noosa Heads runs roughly 110% 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. Noosa Heads 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, Noosa Heads 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 Noosa Heads gentler on the wallet – expenses run 1% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.