Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Palmerston North and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Palmerston North: $1,562 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $13,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

76

Cost of Living Index in Palmerston North
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Palmerston North Living Index
130

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

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Palmerston North

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,562

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Palmerston North $1,562
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,537 in Palmerston North versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Palmerston North $2,537
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,511 in Palmerston North versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Palmerston North $3,511
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Palmerston North costs roughly 41% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Palmerston North 16% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.50 NZ$23.87

$20.77 $20.77

-35.00%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$63.7 NZ$113

$84.6 $84.6

-24.75%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$8.80 NZ$15.56

$12.32 $12.32

-28.57%

Cappuccino

$3.13 NZ$5.54

$5.63 $5.63

-44.40%

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

$2.36 NZ$4.18

$3.72 $3.72

-36.56%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.68 NZ$2.97

$2.50 $2.50

-32.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.43 NZ$11.38

$8.05 $8.05

-20.12%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.52 NZ$11.53

$9.01 $9.01

-27.64%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.84 NZ$3.26

$1.12 $1.12

64.29%

White Bread (500g)

$2.14 NZ$3.78

$3.75 $3.75

-42.93%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.37 NZ$2.42

$3.26 $3.26

-57.98%

Eggs

$4.85 NZ$8.58

$4.17 $4.17

16.31%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$6.41 NZ$11.34

$12.90 $12.90

-50.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.50 NZ$16.80

$14.16 $14.16

-32.91%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$10.78 NZ$19.06

$16.22 $16.22

-33.54%

Apples (1kg)

$2.54 NZ$4.48

$4.33 $4.33

-41.34%

Banana (1kg)

$2.23 NZ$3.94

$1.46 $1.46

52.74%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.30 NZ$4.07

$4.51 $4.51

-49.00%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.53 NZ$9.78

$4.34 $4.34

27.42%

Potato (1kg)

$1.41 NZ$2.49

$2.58 $2.58

-45.35%

Onion (1kg)

$0.86 NZ$1.53

$2.35 $2.35

-63.40%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.72 NZ$3.04

$1.78 $1.78

-3.37%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.75 NZ$1.33

$2.22 $2.22

-66.22%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$22.06 NZ$39.00

$9.88 $9.88

123.28%

Wine (Bottle)

$7.91 NZ$13.99

$15.08 $15.08

-47.55%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.65 NZ$4.69

$2.92 $2.92

-9.25%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.78 NZ$4.91

$3.46 $3.46

-19.65%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.93 NZ$6.95

$1.49 $1.49

163.76%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$82.3 NZ$146

$41.72 $41.72

97.24%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$2.73 $2.73

-31.50%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$1.66 $1.66

7.23%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$16.63 NZ$29.40

$35.30 $35.30

-52.89%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.64 NZ$2.90

$0.95 $0.95

72.63%

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

$21.6K NZ$38.1K

$36.0K $36.0K

-40.17%

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

$23.9K NZ$42.3K

$27.1K $27.1K

-11.63%

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

$68.2 NZ$121

$229 $229

-70.21%

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

$32.09 NZ$56.8

$59.4 $59.4

-45.97%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$34.64 NZ$61.3

$69.9 $69.9

-50.45%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$21.79 NZ$38.54

$57.2 $57.2

-61.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.08 NZ$24.90

$16.33 $16.33

-13.78%

Cinema Ticket

$11.60 NZ$20.52

$14.28 $14.28

-18.77%

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

$1,034 NZ$1,829

$1,506 $1,506

-31.33%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$8,550 NZ$15.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-60.15%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$69.5 NZ$123

$52.8 $52.8

31.62%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$27.70 NZ$48.98

$43.82 $43.82

-36.79%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$83.1 NZ$147

$84.8 $84.8

-2.03%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$82.5 NZ$146

$103 $103

-19.90%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$906 NZ$1,602

$1,907 $1,907

-52.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$639 NZ$1,129

$1,274 $1,274

-49.87%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,587 NZ$2,807

$3,664 $3,664

-56.68%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,311 NZ$2,318

$2,538 $2,538

-48.36%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$2,023 NZ$3,577

$7,614 $7,614

-73.43%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$1,836 NZ$3,247

$3,157 $3,157

-41.85%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,494 NZ$4,411

$5,121 $5,121

-51.29%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.39

6.79

-20.62%

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

Last update for Palmerston North: 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

Palmerston North

$639 40.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 99.5% $635

Groceries & Markets

Palmerston North

$283 18.1%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 42.9% $121

Eating Out

Palmerston North

$233 14.9%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 51.7% $121

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Palmerston North

$135 8.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 166% $223

Clothing & Footwear

Palmerston North

$118 7.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 8.2% $9.7

Getting Around

Palmerston North

$109 7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 46% $50

Sport & Entertainment

Palmerston North

$45 2.9%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 90.6% $41

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $906 in Palmerston North and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 105% 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: $64.0 in Palmerston North vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $283 vs $405 per month, with Palmerston North cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Palmerston North

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

04:05 4:05 AM

10:05 10:05 AM

18 h behind Palmerston North

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

90,500

974,447

💱 Currency

New Zealand Dollar NZD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 NZD = 0.565 USD

1 NZD = 0.503 EUR

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

USD, EUR to NZD – New Zealand Dollar Converter

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

🇳🇿 New Zealand Dollar ($)

New Zealand Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 USD = 1.77 NZD (1 NZD = 0.565 USD). 1 EUR = 1.99 NZD (1 NZD = 0.503 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 18, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Palmerston North Austin, TX 11,870 km ≈ 15 h nonstop flight

From you

Palmerston North
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

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

Palmerston North wins on cost – living expenses run 70% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Palmerston North the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 105% 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: $906 in Palmerston North 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 $1,562 per month in Palmerston North versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 70% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Palmerston North runs roughly 97% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,562 in Palmerston North versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Palmerston North but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Palmerston North 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, Palmerston North 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 Palmerston North gentler on the wallet – expenses run 70% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.