Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Timaru and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Timaru: $1,980 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $8,200 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

90

Cost of Living Index in Timaru
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Timaru Living Index
130

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

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Timaru

🇳🇿 New Zealand

$1,980

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $1,980 in Timaru versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Timaru $1,980
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,925 in Timaru versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Timaru $2,925
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,870 in Timaru versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Timaru $3,870
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Timaru costs roughly 26% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Timaru 47% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$13.80 NZ$24.41

$20.77 $20.77

-33.56%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$62.1 NZ$110

$84.6 $84.6

-26.65%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.70 NZ$18.93

$12.32 $12.32

-13.15%

Cappuccino

$3.37 NZ$5.95

$5.63 $5.63

-40.14%

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

$2.03 NZ$3.59

$3.72 $3.72

-45.43%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.81 NZ$3.20

$2.50 $2.50

-27.60%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.72 NZ$10.11

$8.05 $8.05

-28.94%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.12 NZ$10.81

$9.01 $9.01

-32.08%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.11 NZ$1.96

$1.12 $1.12

-0.89%

White Bread (500g)

$1.82 NZ$3.22

$3.75 $3.75

-51.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.09 NZ$1.93

$3.26 $3.26

-66.56%

Eggs

$5.69 NZ$10.06

$4.17 $4.17

36.45%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.24 NZ$14.57

$12.90 $12.90

-36.12%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.13 NZ$16.15

$14.16 $14.16

-35.52%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.33 NZ$28.89

$16.22 $16.22

0.68%

Apples (1kg)

$2.92 NZ$5.17

$4.33 $4.33

-32.56%

Banana (1kg)

$2.33 NZ$4.12

$1.46 $1.46

59.59%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.24 NZ$5.72

$4.51 $4.51

-28.16%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.19 NZ$9.18

$4.34 $4.34

19.59%

Potato (1kg)

$1.87 NZ$3.30

$2.58 $2.58

-27.52%

Onion (1kg)

$1.78 NZ$3.14

$2.35 $2.35

-24.26%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.25 NZ$3.98

$1.78 $1.78

26.40%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.55 NZ$0.97

$2.22 $2.22

-75.23%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$20.75 NZ$36.70

$9.88 $9.88

110.02%

Wine (Bottle)

$5.63 NZ$9.96

$15.08 $15.08

-62.67%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$3.07 NZ$5.42

$2.92 $2.92

5.14%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$1.18 NZ$2.09

$3.46 $3.46

-65.90%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.65 NZ$2.91

$1.49 $1.49

10.74%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$92.4 NZ$163

$41.72 $41.72

121.55%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.29 NZ$4.04

$2.73 $2.73

-16.12%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.08 NZ$3.68

$1.66 $1.66

25.30%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$27.65 NZ$48.90

$35.30 $35.30

-21.67%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.48 NZ$2.61

$0.95 $0.95

55.79%

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

$24.8K NZ$43.9K

$36.0K $36.0K

-31.07%

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

$24.9K NZ$44.1K

$27.1K $27.1K

-7.87%

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

$110 NZ$194

$229 $229

-52.07%

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

$22.70 NZ$40.15

$59.4 $59.4

-61.78%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.4 NZ$90.9

$69.9 $69.9

-26.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$38.87 NZ$68.7

$57.2 $57.2

-32.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$16.33 $16.33

Cinema Ticket

$10.17 NZ$17.98

$14.28 $14.28

-28.78%

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

$579 NZ$1,025

$1,506 $1,506

-61.52%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$17.1K NZ$30.3K

$21.5K $21.5K

-20.26%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$59.1 NZ$105

$52.8 $52.8

11.95%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$34.65 NZ$61.3

$43.82 $43.82

-20.93%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$91.0 NZ$161

$84.8 $84.8

7.31%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$132 NZ$234

$103 $103

28.41%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$877 NZ$1,550

$1,907 $1,907

-54.04%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$946 NZ$1,674

$1,274 $1,274

-25.72%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,616 NZ$2,857

$3,664 $3,664

-55.91%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,510 NZ$2,670

$2,538 $2,538

-40.51%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,303 NZ$7,610

$7,614 $7,614

-43.48%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,018 NZ$5,337

$3,157 $3,157

-4.41%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,121 $5,121

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

7.07

6.79

4.12%

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

Last update for Timaru: 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

Timaru

$946 47.8%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 34.6% $328

Groceries & Markets

Timaru

$297 15%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 36.2% $108

Eating Out

Timaru

$239 12.1%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 48% $115

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Timaru

$184 9.3%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 94.9% $174

Clothing & Footwear

Timaru

$143 7.2%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 10.3% $15

Getting Around

Timaru

$112 5.6%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 47.5% $53

Sport & Entertainment

Timaru

$59 3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 44.9% $27

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $877 in Timaru and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Dining out: $62.0 in Timaru vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $297 vs $405 per month, with Timaru cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇳🇿 Timaru

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

08:30 8:30 AM

14:30 2:30 PM

18 h behind Timaru

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

28,600

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

USD to NZD in detail →

On the map

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Between locations

Timaru Austin, TX 12,380 km ≈ 16 h nonstop flight

From you

Timaru
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

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

Timaru wins on cost – living expenses run 35% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Timaru the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

You'd need roughly $2,970 in Timaru and $3,995 in Austin, TX to live well. The gap comes down to housing and overall price levels. Both cities are liveable on less, but these numbers represent actual comfort.

Rent for a central apartment: $877 in Timaru 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 $1,980 per month in Timaru versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 35% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Timaru runs roughly 122% less than in Austin, TX. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $1,980 in Timaru versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Timaru but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Timaru 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, Timaru 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 Timaru gentler on the wallet – expenses run 35% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.