Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between the United States and Australia

Name: Australia
Address: AU

For one person, living is cheaper in Australia: $2,539 a month against $2,727 in the United States, rent and utilities included – about $2,300 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

132

Cost of Living Index in the United States
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United States Living Index
124

Cost of Living Index in Australia
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Australia Living Index

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🇺🇸 United States

$2,727

/mo nomad

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,539

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in the United States and in Australia

Real prices from locals and on-the-ground checks – rent, groceries, transit and the daily extras. Here's what a month in the United States and in Australia actually costs, broken down by who's living it.

A single person spends $2,727 per month in the United States vs $2,539 in Australia, rent included.

United States $2,727
Australia $2,539

A couple spends around $4,009 per month in the United States vs $3,716 in Australia, rent included.

United States $4,009
Australia $3,716

A family of three spends $5,291 per month in the United States vs $4,892 in Australia, rent included.

United States $5,291
Australia $4,892

The regional cost range is wider in the United States ($977–$5,215) than in Australia ($1,635–$3,245), so city choice matters more there.

The cost of living in the United States is about 7% higher than in Australia on average.

Both the United States and Australia are pricier than the global median – the United States by 101%, Australia by 87%.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$19.73 $19.73

$17.35 A$24.97

13.72%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$81.0 $81.0

$84.5 A$122

-4.22%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$11.98 $11.98

$10.98 A$15.79

9.11%

Cappuccino

$5.59 $5.59

$3.84 A$5.53

45.57%

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

$2.78 $2.78

$2.89 A$4.16

-3.81%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$2.29 A$3.29

-8.30%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$5.98 $5.98

$7.79 A$11.21

-23.23%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$7.92 $7.92

$8.42 A$12.12

-5.94%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.03 $1.03

$1.75 A$2.52

-41.14%

White Bread (500g)

$3.75 $3.75

$2.78 A$4.00

34.89%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$4.46 $4.46

$2.31 A$3.33

93.07%

Eggs

$4.34 $4.34

$4.89 A$7.04

-11.25%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$12.75 $12.75

$9.95 A$14.32

28.14%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$12.27 $12.27

$9.06 A$13.03

35.43%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$17.29 $17.29

$14.92 A$21.46

15.88%

Apples (1kg)

$5.31 $5.31

$3.65 A$5.25

45.48%

Banana (1kg)

$1.67 $1.67

$3.03 A$4.36

-44.88%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.32 $4.32

$3.24 A$4.66

33.33%

Tomato (1kg)

$5.03 $5.03

$4.69 A$6.76

7.25%

Potato (1kg)

$2.81 $2.81

$2.85 A$4.11

-1.40%

Onion (1kg)

$3.05 $3.05

$2.32 A$3.34

31.47%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.22 $2.22

$2.43 A$3.50

-8.64%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.35 $2.35

$1.66 A$2.39

41.57%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.92 $10.92

$38.47 A$55.4

-71.61%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.87 $14.87

$13.84 A$19.92

7.44%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.10 $2.10

$4.87 A$7.01

-56.88%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.62 $3.62

$5.28 A$7.59

-31.44%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$2.46 $2.46

$2.71 A$3.90

-9.23%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$65.7 $65.7

$94.0 A$135

-30.09%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$3.58 $3.58

$3.57 A$5.14

0.28%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.90 $1.90

$1.63 A$2.35

16.56%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$29.51 $29.51

$40.04 A$57.6

-26.30%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$1.02 $1.02

$1.33 A$1.91

-23.31%

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

$28.3K $28.3K

$29.1K A$41.9K

-2.84%

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

$26.0K $26.0K

$25.7K A$37.0K

0.96%

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

$221 $221

$205 A$296

7.52%

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

$61.3 $61.3

$28.24 A$40.63

117.00%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$73.3 $73.3

$57.0 A$82.0

28.64%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$44.89 $44.89

$55.4 A$79.7

-18.93%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$22.65 $22.65

$19.46 A$28.01

16.39%

Cinema Ticket

$15.16 $15.16

$15.06 A$21.66

0.66%

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

$1,471 $1,471

$2,097 A$3,017

-29.82%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$25.0K $25.0K

$18.0K A$26.0K

38.67%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$53.5 $53.5

$78.0 A$112

-31.36%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$43.76 $43.76

$55.3 A$79.6

-20.91%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$92.0 $92.0

$112 A$161

-17.73%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$114 $114

$122 A$175

-6.33%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,654 $1,654

$1,559 A$2,244

6.06%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,332 $1,332

$1,215 A$1,748

9.67%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,669 $2,669

$2,435 A$3,504

9.60%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,207 $2,207

$1,924 A$2,769

14.70%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$3,054 $3,054

$8,175 A$11.8K

-62.64%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,522 $2,522

$6,060 A$8,721

-58.38%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$4,391 $4,391

$4,038 A$5,811

8.74%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.55

5.94

10.27%

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

Last update for the United States: October 18, 2026

Last update for Australia: October 19, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

United States

$1.3K 48.9%

Australia

$1.2K 47.8% 8.8% $117

Groceries & Markets

United States

$413 15.1%

Australia

$372 14.7% 9.8% $40

Monthly Utilities & Internet

United States

$355 13%

Australia

$291 11.4% 18.2% $65

Eating Out

United States

$326 12%

Australia

$294 11.6% 9.8% $32

Clothing & Footwear

United States

$137 5%

Australia

$165 6.5% 21% $29

Getting Around

United States

$89 3.3%

Australia

$117 4.6% 31.5% $28

Sport & Entertainment

United States

$75 2.8%

Australia

$85 3.4% 13.7% $10

Cost Breakdown

Average rent: $1,612 in the United States vs $1,364 in Australia. For reference, capital cities sit at $2,743 in Washington, DC and $1,719 in Canberra.

Average salary: $4,548 in the United States vs $3,853 in Australia. The income gap affects purchasing power and how far your budget stretches in each country.

Cost Highlights

Rent is 18% higher in the United States.

Public transport is 178% more expensive in Australia.

Salaries are 18% higher in the United States, and purchasing power comes out stronger in the United States.

Good to know

🇺🇸 United States

🇦🇺 Australia

🕒 Local time

03:37 3:37 AM

18:37 6:37 PM

15 h ahead of the United States

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

340,110,988

26,473,055

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

Australian Dollar AUD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.89 EUR

1 AUD = 0.695 USD

1 AUD = 0.618 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

AUD, EUR to USD – United States Dollar Converter

🇦🇺 Australian Dollar ($)

🇺🇸 United States Dollar ($)

United States Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 EUR = 1.12 USD (1 USD = 0.89 EUR).

Australian Dollar exchange rates as of October 22, 2026: 1 USD = 1.44 AUD (1 AUD = 0.695 USD). 1 EUR = 1.62 AUD (1 AUD = 0.618 EUR).

AUD to USD in detail →

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United States Australia 15,000 km ≈ 19 h nonstop flight

From you

United States
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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

United States vs Australia: Cost of Living - Frequently Asked Questions

Australia is the cheaper option – living costs run roughly 7% lower on average.

Housing costs more in the United States: a central one-bedroom averages $1,612 versus $1,364 in Australia.

$2,500 buys a comfortable lifestyle in Australia, but in the United States it only works with careful planning outside the capital. Same money, very different lives.

Australia is the budget-friendly choice for expats – lower housing and daily costs. But cost isn't everything: visa policies, language, healthcare quality, and job markets all weigh in too.