Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Port Macquarie and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Port Macquarie: $2,450 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $2,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

119

Cost of Living Index in Port Macquarie
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Port Macquarie Living Index
130

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

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Port Macquarie

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,450

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,450 in Port Macquarie versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Port Macquarie $2,450
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,487 in Port Macquarie versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Port Macquarie $3,487
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,525 in Port Macquarie versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Port Macquarie $4,525
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Port Macquarie costs roughly 8% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Port Macquarie 81% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.73 A$25.39

$20.77 $20.77

-14.64%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.3 A$125

$84.6 $84.6

3.18%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.34 A$14.82

$12.32 $12.32

-16.07%

Cappuccino

$3.90 A$5.59

$5.63 $5.63

-30.73%

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

$2.49 A$3.57

$3.72 $3.72

-33.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.67 A$2.39

$2.50 $2.50

-33.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.19 A$8.87

$8.05 $8.05

-23.11%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.38 A$9.13

$9.01 $9.01

-29.19%

Milk (1 liter)

$2.03 A$2.91

$1.12 $1.12

81.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.93 A$4.20

$3.75 $3.75

-21.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.74 A$3.93

$3.26 $3.26

-15.95%

Eggs

$5.29 A$7.58

$4.17 $4.17

26.86%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$5.12 A$7.34

$12.90 $12.90

-60.31%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$10.57 A$15.15

$14.16 $14.16

-25.35%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.95 A$17.12

$16.22 $16.22

-26.33%

Apples (1kg)

$3.14 A$4.50

$4.33 $4.33

-27.48%

Banana (1kg)

$4.31 A$6.17

$1.46 $1.46

195.21%

Oranges (1kg)

$2.40 A$3.43

$4.51 $4.51

-46.78%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.95 A$7.09

$4.34 $4.34

14.06%

Potato (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.58 $2.58

-7.36%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 A$3.42

$2.35 $2.35

1.70%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.60 A$2.29

$1.78 $1.78

-10.11%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.50 A$2.15

$2.22 $2.22

-32.43%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$42.49 A$60.9

$9.88 $9.88

330.06%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.41 A$14.91

$15.08 $15.08

-30.97%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.13 A$5.92

$2.92 $2.92

41.44%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.16 A$7.39

$3.46 $3.46

49.13%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.89 A$4.14

$1.49 $1.49

93.96%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$80.7 A$116

$41.72 $41.72

93.50%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.66 A$5.24

$2.73 $2.73

34.07%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.59 A$2.28

$1.66 $1.66

-4.22%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.84 A$61.4

$35.30 $35.30

21.36%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.87

$0.95 $0.95

36.84%

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

$26.2K A$37.5K

$36.0K $36.0K

-27.43%

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

$22.0K A$31.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-18.85%

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

$198 A$284

$229 $229

-13.52%

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

$30.80 A$44.13

$59.4 $59.4

-48.14%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$61.3 A$87.9

$69.9 $69.9

-12.27%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$51.5 A$73.7

$57.2 $57.2

-10.06%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$9.54 A$13.67

$16.33 $16.33

-41.58%

Cinema Ticket

$10.92 A$15.64

$14.28 $14.28

-23.53%

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

$1,823 A$2,612

$1,506 $1,506

21.08%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$18.6K A$26.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

-13.54%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$70.6 A$101

$52.8 $52.8

33.61%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$54.9 A$78.6

$43.82 $43.82

25.22%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$104 A$149

$84.8 $84.8

22.63%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$107 A$153

$103 $103

3.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,408 A$2,016

$1,907 $1,907

-26.19%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,201 A$1,721

$1,274 $1,274

-5.71%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,133 A$3,055

$3,664 $3,664

-41.80%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,693 A$2,426

$2,538 $2,538

-33.29%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,785 A$8,287

$7,614 $7,614

-24.02%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,938 A$7,074

$3,157 $3,157

56.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$2,769 A$3,966

$5,121 $5,121

-45.93%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.33

6.79

-21.50%

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

Last update for Port Macquarie: October 13, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Port Macquarie

$1.2K 49%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 6.1% $73

Groceries & Markets

Port Macquarie

$350 14.3%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 15.7% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Port Macquarie

$290 11.9%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 23.5% $68

Eating Out

Port Macquarie

$280 11.4%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 26.4% $74

Clothing & Footwear

Port Macquarie

$151 6.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 15.4% $23

Getting Around

Port Macquarie

$104 4.2%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 43.5% $45

Sport & Entertainment

Port Macquarie

$73 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 17% $12

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,408 in Port Macquarie and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 85% 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: $87.0 in Port Macquarie vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $350 vs $405, with Port Macquarie cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Port Macquarie

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:15 7:15 AM

15:15 3:15 PM

16 h behind Port Macquarie

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

47,793

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

Port Macquarie Austin, TX 13,390 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Port Macquarie
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

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

Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 85% 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: $1,408 in Port Macquarie 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 $2,450 per month in Port Macquarie versus $2,663 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 Port Macquarie runs roughly 94% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,450 in Port Macquarie versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Port Macquarie but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Port Macquarie 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, Port Macquarie 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 Port Macquarie 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.