Last update: Oct 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Wollongong and Austin, TX

For one person, living is cheaper in Wollongong: $2,251 a month against $2,663 in Austin, TX, rent and utilities included – about $4,900 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

110

Cost of Living Index in Wollongong
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Wollongong Living Index
130

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

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Wollongong

🇦🇺 Australia

$2,251

/mo nomad

Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,663

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,251 in Wollongong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX.

Wollongong $2,251
Austin, TX $2,663

Estimated couple costs with rent: $3,295 in Wollongong versus $4,133 in Austin, TX.

Wollongong $3,295
Austin, TX $4,133

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $4,339 in Wollongong versus $5,603 in Austin, TX.

Wollongong $4,339
Austin, TX $5,603

Living in Wollongong costs roughly 15% less than in Austin, TX, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in eating out.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Wollongong 67% above, Austin, TX 97% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$16.72 A$24.06

$20.77 $20.77

-19.50%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$83.9 A$121

$84.6 $84.6

-0.79%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$10.27 A$14.78

$12.32 $12.32

-16.64%

Cappuccino

$3.49 A$5.03

$5.63 $5.63

-38.01%

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

$3.16 A$4.54

$3.72 $3.72

-15.05%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.17 A$3.12

$2.50 $2.50

-13.20%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.09 A$10.20

$8.05 $8.05

-11.93%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$6.93 A$9.97

$9.01 $9.01

-23.09%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.19 A$1.72

$1.12 $1.12

6.25%

White Bread (500g)

$2.92 A$4.20

$3.75 $3.75

-22.13%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$2.11 A$3.04

$3.26 $3.26

-35.28%

Eggs

$3.93 A$5.65

$4.17 $4.17

-5.76%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$10.40 A$14.96

$12.90 $12.90

-19.38%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$9.47 A$13.62

$14.16 $14.16

-33.12%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$15.48 A$22.27

$16.22 $16.22

-4.56%

Apples (1kg)

$2.90 A$4.17

$4.33 $4.33

-33.03%

Banana (1kg)

$2.54 A$3.65

$1.46 $1.46

73.97%

Oranges (1kg)

$3.30 A$4.74

$4.51 $4.51

-26.83%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.53 A$6.51

$4.34 $4.34

4.38%

Potato (1kg)

$2.31 A$3.33

$2.58 $2.58

-10.47%

Onion (1kg)

$2.58 A$3.71

$2.35 $2.35

9.79%

Lettuce (1 head)

$2.56 A$3.68

$1.78 $1.78

43.82%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$1.33 A$1.91

$2.22 $2.22

-40.09%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$44.92 A$64.6

$9.88 $9.88

354.66%

Wine (Bottle)

$13.90 A$20.00

$15.08 $15.08

-7.82%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$4.38 A$6.31

$2.92 $2.92

50.00%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$4.67 A$6.72

$3.46 $3.46

34.97%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.97 A$2.84

$1.49 $1.49

32.21%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.72 $41.72

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$4.11 A$5.92

$2.73 $2.73

50.55%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.55 A$2.23

$1.66 $1.66

-6.63%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$42.79 A$61.6

$35.30 $35.30

21.22%

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)

$26.6K A$38.2K

$36.0K $36.0K

-26.33%

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

$24.8K A$35.6K

$27.1K $27.1K

-8.49%

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

$185 A$267

$229 $229

-19.03%

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

$27.08 A$38.97

$59.4 $59.4

-54.40%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$51.1 A$73.5

$69.9 $69.9

-26.96%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$81.8 A$118

$57.2 $57.2

42.92%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$14.07 A$20.24

$16.33 $16.33

-13.84%

Cinema Ticket

$13.02 A$18.73

$14.28 $14.28

-8.82%

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

$2,148 A$3,091

$1,506 $1,506

42.64%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$20.5K A$29.5K

$21.5K $21.5K

-4.42%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$68.2 A$98.1

$52.8 $52.8

29.14%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$55.0 A$79.2

$43.82 $43.82

25.54%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$105 A$152

$84.8 $84.8

24.24%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$108 A$155

$103 $103

4.55%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,246 A$1,793

$1,907 $1,907

-34.65%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,079 A$1,552

$1,274 $1,274

-15.34%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$1,947 A$2,802

$3,664 $3,664

-46.86%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,666 A$2,398

$2,538 $2,538

-34.35%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$4,438 A$6,386

$7,614 $7,614

-41.71%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$3,676 A$5,290

$3,157 $3,157

16.43%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,130 A$7,382

$5,121 $5,121

0.18%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

5.23

6.79

-22.97%

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

Last update for Wollongong: 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

Wollongong

$1.1K 47.9%

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.8% 18.1% $195

Groceries & Markets

Wollongong

$353 15.7%

Austin, TX

$405 15.2% 14.6% $51

Eating Out

Wollongong

$277 12.3%

Austin, TX

$354 13.3% 27.7% $77

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Wollongong

$264 11.7%

Austin, TX

$358 13.5% 35.9% $95

Clothing & Footwear

Wollongong

$151 6.7%

Austin, TX

$128 4.8% 15.4% $23

Sport & Entertainment

Wollongong

$108 4.8%

Austin, TX

$86 3.2% 20.4% $22

Getting Around

Wollongong

$20 * 0.9%

Austin, TX

$59 2.2% 197% $39

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 $1,246 in Wollongong and $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Wollongong pays 0% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $84.0 in Wollongong vs $85.0 in Austin, TX for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $353 vs $405 per month, with Wollongong cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇦🇺 Wollongong

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🕒 Local time

05:34 5:34 AM

13:34 1:34 PM

16 h behind Wollongong

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

280,153

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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Between locations

Wollongong Austin, TX 13,680 km ≈ 18 h nonstop flight

From you

Wollongong
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

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

Wollongong wins on cost – living expenses run 18% lower than in Austin, TX. Housing and daily spending are where you'll feel the difference most, making Wollongong the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 0% higher in Wollongong, which matters when comparing affordability. Whether that higher income actually nets you more depends on your spending habits and housing choices.

Rent for a central apartment: $1,246 in Wollongong versus $1,907 in Austin, TX. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $2,148 in Wollongong 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 Wollongong – a meal for two runs $84.0 versus $85.0 in Austin, TX. If you eat out regularly, this makes a real dent in your monthly spending.

At $2,251 in Wollongong versus $2,663 in Austin, TX, a $2,500 budget is realistic in Wollongong but tight or insufficient in Austin, TX. The gap between the two cities makes Wollongong 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, Wollongong 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 Wollongong gentler on the wallet – expenses run 18% less than in Austin, TX. Beyond cost, consider language, visa policies, and how big the international community is in each city.