Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sunshine Coast and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Sunshine Coast: $2,249 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $5,000 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

108

Cost of Living Index in Sunshine Coast
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Sunshine Coast Living Index
130

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

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Sunshine Coast

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,249

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,249 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Sunshine Coast $2,249
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,383 in Sunshine Coast versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Sunshine Coast $3,383
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,517 in Sunshine Coast versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Sunshine Coast $4,517
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Sunshine Coast costs roughly 16% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sunshine Coast 67% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.10 A$24.60

$20.77 $20.77

-17.67%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$75.6 A$109

$84.6 $84.6

-10.64%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.63 A$15.29

$12.32 $12.32

-13.72%

Cappuccino

$4.13 A$5.95

$5.63 $5.63

-26.64%

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

$2.75 A$3.96

$3.72 $3.72

-26.08%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.67 A$3.84

$2.50 $2.50

6.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.85 A$11.29

$8.05 $8.05

-2.48%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$9.66 A$13.90

$9.01 $9.01

7.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.31 A$1.89

$1.12 $1.12

16.96%

White Bread (500g)

$1.94 A$2.79

$3.75 $3.75

-48.27%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.00 A$2.87

$3.26 $3.26

-38.65%

Eggs

$4.67 A$6.72

$4.17 $4.17

11.99%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.89 A$15.67

$12.90 $12.90

-15.58%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$7.99 A$11.50

$14.16 $14.16

-43.57%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$20.85 A$30.00

$16.22 $16.22

28.55%

Apples (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.43

$4.33 $4.33

-28.87%

Banana (1kg)

$2.45 A$3.53

$1.46 $1.46

67.81%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.05 A$4.39

$4.51 $4.51

-32.37%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.01 A$5.77

$4.34 $4.34

-7.60%

Potato (1kg)

$2.05 A$2.95

$2.58 $2.58

-20.54%

Onion (1kg)

$1.61 A$2.32

$2.35 $2.35

-31.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 A$3.24

$1.78 $1.78

26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.22 $2.22

1.35%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$46.90 A$67.5

$9.88 $9.88

374.70%

Wine (Bottle)

$15.63 A$22.50

$15.08 $15.08

3.65%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.40 A$7.77

$2.92 $2.92

84.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.06 A$8.71

$3.46 $3.46

75.14%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.42 A$2.05

$1.49 $1.49

-4.70%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$40.59 A$58.4

$41.72 $41.72

-2.71%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.12 A$3.04

$2.73 $2.73

-22.34%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.32

$1.66 $1.66

-3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$36.11 A$52.0

$35.30 $35.30

2.29%

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)

$31.4K A$45.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-12.91%

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

$30.2K A$43.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

11.57%

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

$140 A$202

$229 $229

-38.67%

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

$42.80 A$61.6

$59.4 $59.4

-27.93%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$66.3 A$95.4

$69.9 $69.9

-5.16%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$49.61 A$71.4

$57.2 $57.2

-13.33%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.54 A$23.80

$16.33 $16.33

1.29%

Cinema Ticket

$15.38 A$22.13

$14.28 $14.28

7.70%

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

$2,080 A$2,993

$1,506 $1,506

38.12%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.5K $21.5K

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$63.5 A$91.3

$52.8 $52.8

20.15%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$111 A$160

$43.82 $43.82

153.70%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$98.7 A$142

$84.8 $84.8

16.37%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$99.9 A$144

$103 $103

-3.00%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,187 A$1,709

$1,907 $1,907

-37.74%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,024 A$1,473

$1,274 $1,274

-19.65%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,848 A$2,659

$3,664 $3,664

-49.57%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,749 A$2,517

$2,538 $2,538

-31.08%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,633 A$8,106

$7,614 $7,614

-26.01%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$5,228 A$7,523

$3,157 $3,157

65.58%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,483 A$5,012

$5,121 $5,121

-31.98%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.75

6.79

-15.32%

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

Last update for Sunshine Coast: 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

Sunshine Coast

$1K 45.5%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 24.5% $250

Groceries & Markets

Sunshine Coast

$373 16.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 8.6% $32

Eating Out

Sunshine Coast

$299 13.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 18.5% $55

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sunshine Coast

$250 11.1%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 43.6% $109

Clothing & Footwear

Sunshine Coast

$168 7.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 23.8% $40

Sport & Entertainment

Sunshine Coast

$80 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 6.7% $5.4

Getting Around

Sunshine Coast

$56 2.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 3.9% $2.2

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,187 in Sunshine Coast and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 47% 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: $76.0 in Sunshine Coast vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $373 vs $405 per month, with Sunshine Coast cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sunshine Coast

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

03:28 3:28 AM

12:28 12:28 PM

15 h behind Sunshine Coast

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

284,131

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

1 USD = 0.889 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 17, 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 17, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.889 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

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Between locations

Sunshine Coast Austin, TX 13,190 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Sunshine Coast
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

Sunshine Coast vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Sunshine Coast wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Sunshine Coast the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 47% 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: $1,187 in Sunshine Coast 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 $2,249 per month in Sunshine Coast versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 18% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Sunshine Coast runs roughly 3% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,249 in Sunshine Coast versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Sunshine Coast but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Sunshine Coast 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, Sunshine Coast 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 Sunshine Coast gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.