Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Surfers Paradise and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $2,824 in Surfers Paradise, rent and utilities included – about $1,900 less a year. Higher rent and utilities in Surfers Paradise outweigh lower spending on other living expenses.

136

Cost of Living Index in Surfers Paradise
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Surfers Paradise Living Index
130

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

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Surfers Paradise

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,824

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,824 in Surfers Paradise versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Surfers Paradise $2,824
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,398 in Surfers Paradise versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Surfers Paradise $4,398
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,973 in Surfers Paradise versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Surfers Paradise $5,973
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Surfers Paradise is roughly 6% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Surfers Paradise 109% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.36 A$24.87

$20.77 $20.77

-16.42%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$105 A$150

$84.6 $84.6

24.02%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.85 A$15.55

$12.32 $12.32

-11.93%

Cappuccino

$4.10 A$5.87

$5.63 $5.63

-27.18%

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

$2.81 A$4.03

$3.72 $3.72

-24.46%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.40 A$3.44

$2.50 $2.50

-4.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.86 A$11.26

$8.05 $8.05

-2.36%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.87 A$11.27

$9.01 $9.01

-12.65%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.12 $1.12

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.70 A$3.87

$3.75 $3.75

-28.00%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.41 A$3.45

$3.26 $3.26

-26.07%

Eggs

$4.90 A$7.02

$4.17 $4.17

17.51%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.68 A$12.43

$12.90 $12.90

-32.71%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.09 A$13.01

$14.16 $14.16

-35.81%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$14.47 A$20.73

$16.22 $16.22

-10.79%

Apples (1kg)

$3.92 A$5.62

$4.33 $4.33

-9.47%

Banana (1kg)

$3.08 A$4.41

$1.46 $1.46

110.96%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.37 A$4.83

$4.51 $4.51

-25.28%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.84 A$6.93

$4.34 $4.34

11.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.82 A$4.04

$2.58 $2.58

9.30%

Onion (1kg)

$2.44 A$3.49

$2.35 $2.35

3.83%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.43

$1.78 $1.78

34.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.07 A$2.97

$2.22 $2.22

-6.76%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$37.58 A$53.8

$9.88 $9.88

280.36%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.26 A$20.43

$15.08 $15.08

-5.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$5.97 A$8.55

$2.92 $2.92

104.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$5.12 A$7.33

$3.46 $3.46

47.98%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$0.34 A$0.49

$1.49 $1.49

-77.18%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.10 A$3.01

$2.73 $2.73

-23.08%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.62 A$2.32

$1.66 $1.66

-2.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.24 A$50.5

$35.30 $35.30

-0.17%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.30 A$1.86

$0.95 $0.95

36.84%

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

$27.0K A$38.7K

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.02%

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

$28.3K A$40.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

4.71%

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

$212 A$304

$229 $229

-7.31%

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

$29.92 A$42.87

$59.4 $59.4

-49.62%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.4 A$79.4

$69.9 $69.9

-20.73%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$66.1 A$94.6

$57.2 $57.2

15.39%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.45 A$20.70

$16.33 $16.33

-11.51%

Cinema Ticket

$17.42 A$24.95

$14.28 $14.28

21.99%

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

$1,944 A$2,785

$1,506 $1,506

29.10%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$12.4K A$17.7K

$21.5K $21.5K

-42.32%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$83.1 A$119

$52.8 $52.8

57.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.1 A$78.9

$43.82 $43.82

25.65%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$159

$84.8 $84.8

30.85%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$121 A$174

$103 $103

17.73%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,912 A$2,739

$1,907 $1,907

0.27%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,570 A$2,250

$1,274 $1,274

23.26%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$3,770 A$5,400

$3,664 $3,664

2.88%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,067 A$4,393

$2,538 $2,538

20.83%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$5,895 A$8,444

$7,614 $7,614

-22.57%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$4,954 A$7,096

$3,157 $3,157

56.90%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,288 A$4,710

$5,121 $5,121

-35.79%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.81

6.79

-14.43%

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

Last update for Surfers Paradise: 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

Surfers Paradise

$1.6K 55.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 18.9% $296

Groceries & Markets

Surfers Paradise

$380 13.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 6.5% $25

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Surfers Paradise

$298 10.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 20.4% $61

Eating Out

Surfers Paradise

$297 10.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 19.3% $57

Clothing & Footwear

Surfers Paradise

$167 5.9%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 23.2% $39

Sport & Entertainment

Surfers Paradise

$101 3.6%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 15% $15

Getting Around

Surfers Paradise

$12 * 0.4%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 408% $47

Categories marked with * are only partly priced – their share counts the items that do have prices.

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,912 in Surfers Paradise and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 56% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $105 in Surfers Paradise vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $380 vs $405, with Surfers Paradise cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Surfers Paradise

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

09:06 9:06 AM

18:06 6:06 PM

15 h behind Surfers Paradise

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

19,668

974,447

💱 Currency

Australian Dollar AUD $

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 AUD = 0.698 USD

1 AUD = 0.624 EUR

1 USD = 0.894 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 = 0.624 EUR).

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 13, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.894 EUR).

USD to AUD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Surfers Paradise Austin, TX 13,220 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Surfers Paradise
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

Surfers Paradise vs Austin, TX: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 6% lower than in Surfers Paradise. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 56% 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: $1,912 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,944 in Surfers Paradise versus $1,506 in Austin, TX. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

Dining out is cheaper in Austin, TX – a meal for two runs $85.0 versus $105 in Surfers Paradise. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX 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, Surfers Paradise 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 Austin, TX gentler on the wallet – expenses run 6% less than in Surfers Paradise. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.