Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Sydney and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,663 a month against $3,152 in Sydney, rent and utilities included – about $5,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

155

Cost of Living Index in Sydney
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Sydney Living Index
130

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

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Sydney

🇦🇺 Australia

$3,152

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $3,152 in Sydney versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Sydney $3,152
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,710 in Sydney versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Sydney $4,710
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $6,268 in Sydney versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Sydney $6,268
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Sydney is roughly 18% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in transport.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Sydney 133% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$17.57 A$25.29

$20.77 $20.77

-15.41%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$91.5 A$132

$84.6 $84.6

8.15%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.96 A$17.21

$12.32 $12.32

-2.92%

Cappuccino

$4.07 A$5.85

$5.63 $5.63

-27.71%

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

$2.85 A$4.10

$3.72 $3.72

-23.39%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.25 A$3.24

$2.50 $2.50

-10.00%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.60 A$10.94

$8.05 $8.05

-5.59%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.43 A$10.69

$9.01 $9.01

-17.54%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.66 A$2.38

$1.12 $1.12

48.21%

White Bread (500g)

$2.78 A$4.00

$3.75 $3.75

-25.87%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.42 A$3.49

$3.26 $3.26

-25.77%

Eggs

$5.64 A$8.12

$4.17 $4.17

35.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$11.71 A$16.85

$12.90 $12.90

-9.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.66 A$13.89

$14.16 $14.16

-31.78%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.75 A$24.10

$16.22 $16.22

3.27%

Apples (1kg)

$4.07 A$5.85

$4.33 $4.33

-6.00%

Banana (1kg)

$3.25 A$4.68

$1.46 $1.46

122.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.44 A$4.96

$4.51 $4.51

-23.73%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.28 A$6.16

$4.34 $4.34

-1.38%

Potato (1kg)

$3.28 A$4.72

$2.58 $2.58

27.13%

Onion (1kg)

$2.30 A$3.30

$2.35 $2.35

-2.13%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.30 A$3.31

$1.78 $1.78

29.21%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.21 A$1.74

$2.22 $2.22

-45.50%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$43.71 A$62.9

$9.88 $9.88

342.41%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.88 A$19.97

$15.08 $15.08

-7.96%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.90 A$5.62

$2.92 $2.92

33.56%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.91 A$5.63

$3.46 $3.46

13.01%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.49 $1.49

104.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$150 A$216

$41.72 $41.72

260.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.38 A$4.86

$2.73 $2.73

23.81%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.56 A$2.24

$1.66 $1.66

-6.02%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$40.01 A$57.6

$35.30 $35.30

13.34%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.40 A$2.01

$0.95 $0.95

47.37%

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

$29.1K A$41.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-19.21%

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

$30.1K A$43.4K

$27.1K $27.1K

11.29%

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

$223 A$320

$229 $229

-2.79%

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

$27.16 A$39.08

$59.4 $59.4

-54.27%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$55.8 A$80.3

$69.9 $69.9

-20.15%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$74.6 A$107

$57.2 $57.2

30.35%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$23.99 A$34.52

$16.33 $16.33

46.91%

Cinema Ticket

$17.56 A$25.27

$14.28 $14.28

22.97%

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

$2,196 A$3,160

$1,506 $1,506

45.83%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$28.2K A$40.6K

$21.5K $21.5K

31.37%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$78.4 A$113

$52.8 $52.8

48.51%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$68.4 A$98.5

$43.82 $43.82

56.18%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$111 A$160

$84.8 $84.8

31.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$134 A$193

$103 $103

30.49%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,500 A$3,598

$1,907 $1,907

31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,709 A$2,460

$1,274 $1,274

34.15%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,946 A$7,117

$3,664 $3,664

34.96%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$3,022 A$4,349

$2,538 $2,538

19.06%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$13.2K A$18.9K

$7,614 $7,614

72.96%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$8,370 A$12.0K

$3,157 $3,157

165.11%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,113 A$5,919

$5,121 $5,121

-19.67%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.84

6.79

-13.99%

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

Last update for Sydney: October 11, 2026

Last update for Austin, TX: October 12, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Sydney

$1.7K 54.2%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 25.5% $435

Groceries & Markets

Sydney

$379 12%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 6.9% $26

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Sydney

$306 9.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 17.2% $53

Eating Out

Sydney

$299 9.5%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 18.5% $55

Clothing & Footwear

Sydney

$177 5.6%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 27.5% $49

Getting Around

Sydney

$174 5.5%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 66.2% $115

Sport & Entertainment

Sydney

$110 3.5%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 21.8% $24

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,500 in Sydney and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 24% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $91.0 in Sydney vs $85.0 in Austin, TX. Groceries flip the comparison at $379 vs $405, with Sydney cheaper for home cooking.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Sydney

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

07:30 7:30 AM

15:30 3:30 PM

16 h behind Sydney

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

4,840,600

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

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Highest

Between locations

Sydney Austin, TX 13,630 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Sydney
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Sydney. 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 24% 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: $2,500 in Sydney 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 $3,152 per month in Sydney 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 Austin, TX runs roughly 260% less than in Sydney. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

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, Sydney 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 18% less than in Sydney. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.