Cost of Living Comparison Between Australia and United States

For major cities in those countries you get more relevant data by specifying cities.

City in Australia:
City in United States:

Indices Difference
Cost of Living in United States is 0.5% higher than in Australia (excluding rent)
Cost of Living Including Rent in United States is 5.7% higher than in Australia
Rent Prices in United States are 18.9% higher than in Australia
Restaurant Prices in United States are 9.5% higher than in Australia
Groceries Prices in United States are 3.8% lower than in Australia
Local Purchasing Power in United States is 7.3% higher than in Australia

Currency: Sticky Currency Switch to metric measurement units

Restaurants	Australia Edit	United States Edit	Difference
Meal at an Inexpensive Restaurant	25.00 A$ (16.72 $)	29.90 A$ (20.00 $)	+19.6 %
Meal for Two at a Mid-Range Restaurant (Three Courses, Without Drinks)	120.00 A$ (80.26 $)	112.13 A$ (75.00 $)	-6.6 %
Combo Meal at McDonald's (or Equivalent Fast-Food Meal)	15.00 A$ (10.03 $)	17.94 A$ (12.00 $)	+19.6 %
Domestic Draft Beer (1 Pint)	11.00 A$ (7.36 $)	8.97 A$ (6.00 $)	-18.5 %
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	12.00 A$ (8.03 $)	11.21 A$ (7.50 $)	-6.6 %
Cappuccino (Regular Size)	5.51 A$ (3.69 $)	7.98 A$ (5.34 $)	+44.8 %
Soft Drink (Coca-Cola or Pepsi, 12 oz Small Bottle)	4.09 A$ (2.73 $)	3.93 A$ (2.63 $)	-3.9 %
Bottled Water (12 oz)	3.36 A$ (2.24 $)	3.17 A$ (2.12 $)	-5.6 %

Markets	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Milk (Regular, 1 Liter)	2.49 A$ (1.66 $)	1.59 A$ (1.06 $)	-36.1 %
Fresh White Bread (1 lb Loaf)	3.52 A$ (2.35 $)	4.96 A$ (3.32 $)	+41.0 %
White Rice (1 lb)	1.44 A$ (0.96 $)	3.12 A$ (2.09 $)	+117.4 %
Eggs (12, Large Size)	7.04 A$ (4.71 $)	6.60 A$ (4.41 $)	-6.3 %
Local Cheese (1 lb)	6.35 A$ (4.24 $)	8.82 A$ (5.90 $)	+39.0 %
Chicken Fillets (1 lb)	5.87 A$ (3.93 $)	8.32 A$ (5.56 $)	+41.6 %
Beef Round or Equivalent Back Leg Red Meat (1 lb)	9.50 A$ (6.36 $)	11.29 A$ (7.55 $)	+18.8 %
Apples (1 lb)	2.26 A$ (1.51 $)	3.54 A$ (2.37 $)	+56.7 %
Bananas (1 lb)	1.94 A$ (1.30 $)	1.14 A$ (0.76 $)	-41.1 %
Oranges (1 lb)	2.09 A$ (1.40 $)	3.01 A$ (2.01 $)	+43.7 %
Tomatoes (1 lb)	3.11 A$ (2.08 $)	3.32 A$ (2.22 $)	+6.6 %
Potatoes (1 lb)	1.77 A$ (1.19 $)	1.97 A$ (1.32 $)	+10.9 %
Onions (1 lb)	1.50 A$ (1.01 $)	2.08 A$ (1.39 $)	+38.1 %
Lettuce (1 Head)	3.53 A$ (2.36 $)	3.32 A$ (2.22 $)	-5.9 %
Bottled Water (50 oz)	2.43 A$ (1.62 $)	3.38 A$ (2.26 $)	+39.3 %
Bottle of Wine (Mid-Range)	20.00 A$ (13.38 $)	22.43 A$ (15.00 $)	+12.1 %
Domestic Beer (16.9 oz Bottle)	6.88 A$ (4.60 $)	3.05 A$ (2.04 $)	-55.7 %
Imported Beer (12 oz Small Bottle)	7.43 A$ (4.97 $)	5.43 A$ (3.63 $)	-26.9 %
Cigarettes (Pack of 20, Marlboro)	50.00 A$ (33.44 $)	15.55 A$ (10.40 $)	-68.9 %

Transportation	Australia Edit	United States Edit
One-Way Ticket (Local Transport)	4.50 A$ (3.01 $)	3.74 A$ (2.50 $)	-16.9 %
Monthly Public Transport Pass (Regular Price)	132.80 A$ (88.83 $)	97.18 A$ (65.00 $)	-26.8 %
Taxi Start (Standard Tariff)	5.10 A$ (3.41 $)	5.23 A$ (3.50 $)	+2.6 %
Taxi 1 mile (Standard Tariff)	4.02 A$ (2.69 $)	4.21 A$ (2.82 $)	+4.7 %
Taxi 1 Hour Waiting (Standard Tariff)	58.00 A$ (38.79 $)	44.85 A$ (30.00 $)	-22.7 %
Gasoline (1 Liter)	1.82 A$ (1.22 $)	1.33 A$ (0.89 $)	-27.0 %
Volkswagen Golf 1.5 (or Equivalent New Compact Car)	43,000.00 A$ (28,761.41 $)	53,373.22 A$ (35,699.74 $)	+24.1 %
Toyota Corolla Sedan 1.6 (or Equivalent New Mid-Size Car)	38,263.91 A$ (25,593.58 $)	38,692.53 A$ (25,880.27 $)	+1.1 %

Utilities (Monthly)	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Basic Utilities for 915 Square Feet Apartment (Electricity, Heating, Cooling, Water, Garbage)	276.57 A$ (184.99 $)	316.09 A$ (211.43 $)	+14.3 %
Mobile Phone Plan (Monthly, with Calls and 10GB+ Data)	41.49 A$ (27.75 $)	91.29 A$ (61.06 $)	+120.0 %
Broadband Internet (Unlimited Data, 60 Mbps or Higher)	82.28 A$ (55.03 $)	108.68 A$ (72.69 $)	+32.1 %

Sports And Leisure	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Monthly Fitness Club Membership	75.45 A$ (50.46 $)	67.95 A$ (45.45 $)	-9.9 %
Tennis Court Rental (1 Hour, Weekend)	26.79 A$ (17.92 $)	34.53 A$ (23.09 $)	+28.9 %
Cinema Ticket (International Release)	20.00 A$ (13.38 $)	22.43 A$ (15.00 $)	+12.1 %

Childcare	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Private Full-Day Preschool or Kindergarten, Monthly Fee per Child	2,963.76 A$ (1,982.37 $)	2,193.00 A$ (1,466.83 $)	-26.0 %
International Primary School, Annual Tuition per Child	25,374.71 A$ (16,972.38 $)	37,995.06 A$ (25,413.75 $)	+49.7 %

Clothing And Shoes	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Jeans (Levi's 501 or Similar)	110.34 A$ (73.80 $)	78.55 A$ (52.54 $)	-28.8 %
Summer Dress in a Chain Store (e.g. Zara or H&M)	78.85 A$ (52.74 $)	64.11 A$ (42.88 $)	-18.7 %
Nike Running Shoes (Mid-Range)	158.22 A$ (105.83 $)	136.21 A$ (91.10 $)	-13.9 %
Men's Leather Business Shoes	175.00 A$ (117.05 $)	170.95 A$ (114.34 $)	-2.3 %

Rent Per Month	Australia Edit	United States Edit
1 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	2,181.77 A$ (1,459.32 $)	2,555.73 A$ (1,709.45 $)	+17.1 %
1 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	1,715.83 A$ (1,147.67 $)	2,078.18 A$ (1,390.03 $)	+21.1 %
3 Bedroom Apartment in City Centre	3,632.49 A$ (2,429.67 $)	4,148.85 A$ (2,775.04 $)	+14.2 %
3 Bedroom Apartment Outside of City Centre	2,731.27 A$ (1,826.87 $)	3,422.28 A$ (2,289.06 $)	+25.3 %

Buy Apartment Price	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment in City Centre	1,003.91 A$ (671.48 $)	462.12 A$ (309.10 $)	-54.0 %
Price per Square Feet to Buy Apartment Outside of Centre	731.95 A$ (489.58 $)	368.08 A$ (246.20 $)	-49.7 %

Salaries And Financing	Australia Edit	United States Edit
Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)	5,605.47 A$ (3,749.33 $)	6,360.84 A$ (4,254.57 $)	+13.5 %
Annual Mortgage Interest Rate (20-Year Fixed, in %)	6.00	6.34	+5.7 %
Last update:	14 January 2026	14 January 2026
Contributors in the past 12 months:	922	6280

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