Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Toowoomba and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Toowoomba: $2,110 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $6,600 less a year. Rent and utilities account for about half of the difference.

102

Cost of Living Index in Toowoomba
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Toowoomba Living Index
130

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

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Toowoomba

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,110

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,110 in Toowoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Toowoomba $2,110
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $2,921 in Toowoomba versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Toowoomba $2,921
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $3,732 in Toowoomba versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Toowoomba $3,732
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Toowoomba costs roughly 21% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in groceries.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Toowoomba 56% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.56 A$23.82

$20.77 $20.77

-20.27%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$72.1 A$104

$84.6 $84.6

-14.80%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$9.30 A$13.38

$12.32 $12.32

-24.51%

Cappuccino

$3.81 A$5.48

$5.63 $5.63

-32.33%

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

$2.71 A$3.90

$3.72 $3.72

-27.15%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.34 A$3.37

$2.50 $2.50

-6.40%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$6.78 A$9.75

$8.05 $8.05

-15.78%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.10 A$10.22

$9.01 $9.01

-21.20%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.50 A$2.16

$1.12 $1.12

33.93%

White Bread (500g)

$2.27 A$3.27

$3.75 $3.75

-39.47%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.94 A$2.80

$3.26 $3.26

-40.49%

Eggs

$4.55 A$6.55

$4.17 $4.17

9.11%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$8.62 A$12.40

$12.90 $12.90

-33.18%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$8.89 A$12.79

$14.16 $14.16

-37.22%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$11.73 A$16.87

$16.22 $16.22

-27.68%

Apples (1kg)

$3.15 A$4.53

$4.33 $4.33

-27.25%

Banana (1kg)

$1.79 A$2.58

$1.46 $1.46

22.60%

Oranges (1kg)

$1.37 A$1.97

$4.51 $4.51

-69.62%

Tomato (1kg)

$2.15 A$3.09

$4.34 $4.34

-50.46%

Potato (1kg)

$2.49 A$3.59

$2.58 $2.58

-3.49%

Onion (1kg)

$2.23 A$3.20

$2.35 $2.35

-5.11%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.39 A$3.45

$1.78 $1.78

34.27%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$0.99 A$1.42

$2.22 $2.22

-55.41%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$34.77 A$50.0

$9.88 $9.88

251.92%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.72 A$19.75

$15.08 $15.08

-9.02%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.59 A$6.60

$2.92 $2.92

57.19%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.53 A$9.39

$3.46 $3.46

88.73%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$3.04 A$4.38

$1.49 $1.49

104.03%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.22 A$3.20

$2.73 $2.73

-18.68%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.61 A$2.31

$1.66 $1.66

-3.01%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$34.11 A$49.08

$35.30 $35.30

-3.37%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.32 A$1.90

$0.95 $0.95

38.95%

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

$26.7K A$38.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-25.97%

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

$23.3K A$33.5K

$27.1K $27.1K

-13.90%

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

$74.5 A$107

$229 $229

-67.47%

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

$30.11 A$43.33

$59.4 $59.4

-49.30%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$54.1 A$77.8

$69.9 $69.9

-22.67%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$41.16 A$59.2

$57.2 $57.2

-28.09%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$17.69 A$25.46

$16.33 $16.33

8.33%

Cinema Ticket

$13.85 A$19.92

$14.28 $14.28

-3.01%

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

$2,039 A$2,934

$1,506 $1,506

35.38%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$6,996 A$10.1K

$21.5K $21.5K

-67.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$75.1 A$108

$52.8 $52.8

42.26%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$53.8 A$77.4

$43.82 $43.82

22.77%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$74.8 A$108

$84.8 $84.8

-11.77%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$122 A$176

$103 $103

18.76%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,215 A$1,748

$1,907 $1,907

-36.31%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,130 A$1,626

$1,274 $1,274

-11.29%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,618 A$2,328

$3,664 $3,664

-55.84%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,409 A$2,028

$2,538 $2,538

-44.47%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,392 A$4,881

$7,614 $7,614

-55.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,674 A$3,847

$3,157 $3,157

-15.32%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$3,869 A$5,567

$5,121 $5,121

-24.45%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.69

6.79

-16.20%

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

Last update for Toowoomba: 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

Toowoomba

$1.1K 53.6%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 12.7% $144

Groceries & Markets

Toowoomba

$309 14.6%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 31.1% $96

Eating Out

Toowoomba

$274 13%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 29% $80

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Toowoomba

$159 7.5%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 126% $200

Clothing & Footwear

Toowoomba

$147 7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 12.8% $19

Sport & Entertainment

Toowoomba

$69 3.3%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 24.6% $17

Getting Around

Toowoomba

$22 * 1.1%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 162% $36

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 $1,215 in Toowoomba and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 32% 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: $72.0 in Toowoomba vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $309 vs $405 per month, with Toowoomba cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Toowoomba

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:09 5:09 AM

14:09 2:09 PM

15 h behind Toowoomba

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

108,398

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 →

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Toowoomba Austin, TX 13,340 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Toowoomba
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

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

Toowoomba wins on cost – living expenses run 26% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Toowoomba the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

On paper, salaries run 32% 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: $1,215 in Toowoomba versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,039 in Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba – a meal for two runs $72.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,110 in Toowoomba versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $3,000 budget is realistic in Toowoomba but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Toowoomba 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, Toowoomba 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 Toowoomba gentler on the wallet – expenses run 26% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.