Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Townsville and Austin, TX

For one person, living costs are similar in Townsville and in Austin, TX: $2,740 and $2,663 a month, rent and utilities included.

133

Cost of Living Index in Townsville
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Townsville Living Index
130

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

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Townsville

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,740

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,740 in Townsville versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Townsville $2,740
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,002 in Townsville versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Townsville $4,002
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,265 in Townsville versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Townsville $5,265
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Townsville is roughly 3% more expensive than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in clothing.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Townsville 103% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$20.94 A$30.13

$20.77 $20.77

0.82%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$67.6 A$97.3

$84.6 $84.6

-20.04%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.69 A$16.82

$12.32 $12.32

-5.11%

Cappuccino

$3.60 A$5.18

$5.63 $5.63

-36.06%

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

$2.49 A$3.59

$3.72 $3.72

-33.06%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.38 A$3.43

$2.50 $2.50

-4.80%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$8.10 A$11.66

$8.05 $8.05

0.62%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.94 A$9.98

$9.01 $9.01

-22.97%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.85 A$2.66

$1.12 $1.12

65.18%

White Bread (500g)

$2.19 A$3.15

$3.75 $3.75

-41.60%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$1.43 A$2.06

$3.26 $3.26

-56.13%

Eggs

$5.30 A$7.63

$4.17 $4.17

27.10%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$7.84 A$11.29

$12.90 $12.90

-39.22%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.93 A$14.29

$14.16 $14.16

-29.87%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$13.24 A$19.05

$16.22 $16.22

-18.37%

Apples (1kg)

$3.95 A$5.69

$4.33 $4.33

-8.78%

Banana (1kg)

$2.64 A$3.80

$1.46 $1.46

80.82%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.56 A$5.13

$4.51 $4.51

-21.06%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.20 A$6.05

$4.34 $4.34

-3.23%

Potato (1kg)

$2.57 A$3.70

$2.58 $2.58

-0.39%

Onion (1kg)

$2.52 A$3.63

$2.35 $2.35

7.23%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.29 A$3.30

$1.78 $1.78

28.65%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.14 A$3.08

$2.22 $2.22

-3.60%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$30.34 A$43.66

$9.88 $9.88

207.09%

Wine (Bottle)

$10.37 A$14.92

$15.08 $15.08

-31.23%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$6.70 A$9.65

$2.92 $2.92

129.45%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.45 A$12.15

$3.46 $3.46

144.22%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.10 A$3.02

$1.49 $1.49

40.94%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$77.0 A$111

$41.72 $41.72

84.66%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.91 A$5.63

$2.73 $2.73

43.22%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$2.37 A$3.42

$1.66 $1.66

42.77%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$52.6 A$75.6

$35.30 $35.30

48.90%

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)

$28.0K A$40.4K

$36.0K $36.0K

-22.19%

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

$34.0K A$48.9K

$27.1K $27.1K

25.58%

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

$379 A$546

$229 $229

65.56%

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

$35.76 A$51.5

$59.4 $59.4

-39.79%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$67.6 A$97.2

$69.9 $69.9

-3.35%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$55.3 A$79.6

$57.2 $57.2

-3.41%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$19.74 A$28.40

$16.33 $16.33

20.88%

Cinema Ticket

$15.26 A$21.96

$14.28 $14.28

6.86%

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

$2,105 A$3,029

$1,506 $1,506

39.79%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$21.2K A$30.4K

$21.5K $21.5K

-1.39%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$91.9 A$132

$52.8 $52.8

74.02%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$69.9 A$101

$43.82 $43.82

59.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$163 A$234

$84.8 $84.8

92.20%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$129 A$186

$103 $103

25.52%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,315 A$1,892

$1,907 $1,907

-31.08%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,177 A$1,694

$1,274 $1,274

-7.62%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,467 A$3,551

$3,664 $3,664

-32.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,081 A$2,995

$2,538 $2,538

-18.00%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,850 A$6,979

$7,614 $7,614

-36.30%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,960 A$5,699

$3,157 $3,157

25.44%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,115 A$5,921

$5,121 $5,121

-19.64%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.54

6.79

-18.41%

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

Last update for Townsville: 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

Townsville

$1.2K 43%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 8.3% $97

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Townsville

$482 17.6%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 25.7% $124

Groceries & Markets

Townsville

$370 13.5%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 9.4% $35

Eating Out

Townsville

$320 11.7%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 10.7% $34

Clothing & Footwear

Townsville

$204 7.5%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 37.4% $76

Getting Around

Townsville

$101 3.7%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 42% $43

Sport & Entertainment

Townsville

$86 3.1%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 0% $0

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $1,315 in Townsville 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: $68.0 in Townsville vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $370 vs $405 per month, with Townsville cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Townsville

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

01:01 1:01 AM

10:01 10:01 AM

15 h behind Townsville

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

173,724

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 →

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Between locations

Townsville Austin, TX 13,460 km ≈ 17 h nonstop flight

From you

Townsville
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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 3% lower than in Townsville. 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: $1,315 in Townsville 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 $2,740 per month in Townsville versus $2,663 in Austin, TX – a 3% gap that adds up to real savings over time for anyone picking the cheaper option.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 85% less than in Townsville. Both cities have functional networks, but the price difference matters if you're watching your budget.

At $2,663 in Austin, TX versus $2,740 in Townsville, a $2,000 budget is realistic in Austin, TX but tight or insufficient in Townsville. The gap between the two cities makes Austin, TX 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, Townsville 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 3% less than in Townsville. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.