Last update: Nov 2026

Cost of Living Comparison Between Austin, TX and Fairfield, CA

For one person, living is cheaper in Austin, TX: $2,689 a month against $3,978 in Fairfield, CA, rent and utilities included – about $15,500 less a year. Rent and utilities account for most of the difference.

128

Cost of Living Index in Austin, TX
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Austin, TX Living Index
190

Cost of Living Index in Fairfield, CA
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Fairfield, CA Living Index

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Austin, TX

🇺🇸 United States

$2,689

/mo nomad

Fairfield, CA

🇺🇸 United States

$3,978

/mo nomad

Monthly Cost of Living

How much you'll spend in Austin, TX and in Fairfield, CA

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

Monthly costs for one person with rent: $2,689 in Austin, TX versus $3,978 in Fairfield, CA.

Austin, TX $2,689
Fairfield, CA $3,978

Estimated couple costs with rent: $4,112 in Austin, TX versus $5,242 in Fairfield, CA.

Austin, TX $4,112
Fairfield, CA $5,242

Monthly costs for a family of three with rent: $5,534 in Austin, TX versus $6,507 in Fairfield, CA.

Austin, TX $5,534
Fairfield, CA $6,507

Living in Austin, TX costs roughly 32% less than in Fairfield, CA, and outside of rent the biggest gap is in leisure.

Both cities are pricier than the global median: Austin, TX 99% above, Fairfield, CA 194% above.

Meal at Budget Restaurant

$21.34 $21.34

$21.62 $21.62

-1.30%

Three-Course Dinner for Two, Mid-Range

$87.9 $87.9

$88.7 $88.7

-0.90%

Fast Food Meal (McDonalds, etc)

$12.44 $12.44

$12.01 $12.01

3.58%

Cappuccino

$5.60 $5.60

$6.94 $6.94

-19.31%

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

$3.65 $3.65

$3.49 $3.49

4.58%

Water (0.33 liter bottle)

$2.39 $2.39

$2.02 $2.02

18.32%

Local Beer (0.5 liter draught)

$7.82 $7.82

$7.98 $7.98

-2.01%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$8.75 $8.75

$7.16 $7.16

22.21%

Milk (1 liter)

$1.12 $1.12

$1.41 $1.41

-20.57%

White Bread (500g)

$3.62 $3.62

$4.42 $4.42

-18.10%

Rice (white) (1kg)

$3.50 $3.50

$4.68 $4.68

-25.21%

Eggs

$4.45 $4.45

$5.54 $5.54

-19.68%

Local Cheese (1kg)

$13.18 $13.18

$14.08 $14.08

-6.39%

Chicken Fillets (1kg)

$13.94 $13.94

$15.20 $15.20

-8.29%

Beef Round Steak (1kg)

$16.46 $16.46

$17.77 $17.77

-7.37%

Apples (1kg)

$4.73 $4.73

$6.11 $6.11

-22.59%

Banana (1kg)

$1.50 $1.50

$2.59 $2.59

-42.08%

Oranges (1kg)

$4.64 $4.64

$6.35 $6.35

-26.93%

Tomato (1kg)

$4.52 $4.52

$6.60 $6.60

-31.52%

Potato (1kg)

$2.55 $2.55

$3.89 $3.89

-34.45%

Onion (1kg)

$2.39 $2.39

$3.54 $3.54

-32.49%

Lettuce (1 head)

$1.84 $1.84

$2.33 $2.33

-21.03%

Water (1.5 liter bottle)

$2.13 $2.13

$2.06 $2.06

3.40%

Cigarettes 20 Pack (Marlboro, Camel)

$10.05 $10.05

$11.87 $11.87

-15.33%

Wine (Bottle)

$14.88 $14.88

$10.18 $10.18

46.17%

Local Beer (0.5 liter bottle)

$2.82 $2.82

$2.11 $2.11

33.65%

Imported Beer (0.33 liter bottle)

$3.29 $3.29

$2.12 $2.12

55.19%

One-way Ticket (Public Transport)

$1.23 $1.23

$1.96 $1.96

-37.24%

Public Transport Monthly Pass (Regular Price)

$41.43 $41.43

$87.1 $87.1

-52.42%

Taxi Start (Normal Tariff)

$2.68 $2.68

$2.95 $2.95

-9.15%

Taxi (Normal Tariff) (1km)

$1.63 $1.63

$1.95 $1.95

-16.41%

Taxi 1hour Waiting (Normal Tariff)

$35.20 $35.20

$29.14 $29.14

20.80%

Gasoline (1 liter)

$0.98 $0.98

$1.43 $1.43

-31.47%

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

$34.4K $34.4K

$28.2K $28.2K

22.00%

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

$26.8K $26.8K

$26.1K $26.1K

2.66%

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

$252 $252

$193 $193

30.90%

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

$59.8 $59.8

$48.25 $48.25

24.02%

Internet (50+ Mbps, Unlimited Data)

$69.7 $69.7

$72.9 $72.9

-4.48%

Gym Membership (Monthly)

$60.4 $60.4

$125 $125

-51.83%

Tennis Court (1 Hour on Weekend)

$18.14 $18.14

$73.7 $73.7

-75.39%

Cinema Ticket

$13.75 $13.75

$14.61 $14.61

-5.89%

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

$1,458 $1,458

$1,293 $1,293

12.76%

International Primary School, 1 Child (Yearly)

$26.6K $26.6K

$22.3K $22.3K

19.02%

Jeans (Levis 501 Or Similar)

$52.6 $52.6

$51.1 $51.1

3.07%

Summer Dress (H&M, Zara, etc)

$45.76 $45.76

$37.08 $37.08

23.41%

Sport Shoes (Adidas, Nike)

$85.5 $85.5

$107 $107

-20.44%

Men's Leather Business Shoes

$106 $106

$112 $112

-5.15%

1-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$2,195 $2,195

$2,396 $2,396

-8.42%

1-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$1,269 $1,269

$2,432 $2,432

-47.82%

3-bedroom Apartment, City Center (Monthly)

$4,000 $4,000

$3,100 $3,100

29.01%

3-bedroom Apartment, Outside City Center (Monthly)

$2,406 $2,406

$2,967 $2,967

-18.90%

Buy Apartment in City Center (m2)

$7,381 $7,381

$3,719 $3,719

98.45%

Buy Apartment Outside City Center (m2)

$2,964 $2,964

$3,665 $3,665

-19.12%

Average Monthly Net Salary (After Tax)

$5,043 $5,043

$4,749 $4,749

6.19%

20-Year Fixed Mortgage Interest Rate (Annual %)

6.82

6.48

5.25%

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

Last update for Austin, TX: November 2, 2026

Last update for Fairfield, CA: November 1, 2026

Monthly budget structure

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

Accommodation & Living

Austin, TX

$1.3K 47.2%

Fairfield, CA

$2.4K 61.1% 91.6% $1.2K

Groceries & Markets

Austin, TX

$407 15.2%

Fairfield, CA

$463 11.7% 13.7% $56

Monthly Utilities & Internet

Austin, TX

$382 14.2%

Fairfield, CA

$314 7.9% 17.8% $68

Eating Out

Austin, TX

$356 13.2%

Fairfield, CA

$369 9.3% 3.5% $12

Clothing & Footwear

Austin, TX

$130 4.9%

Fairfield, CA

$138 3.5% 6% $7.9

Sport & Entertainment

Austin, TX

$88 3.3%

Fairfield, CA

$155 3.9% 75.9% $67

Getting Around

Austin, TX

$57 2.1%

Fairfield, CA

$108 2.7% 88.2% $50

Cost Breakdown

A one-bedroom apartment in the center runs $2,195 in Austin, TX and $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing cost is often the main lever when comparing two cities.

Austin, TX pays 6% more on average while also being the cheaper of the two. The combined effect is a noticeably stronger local purchasing power.

Dining out: $88 in Austin, TX vs $89 in Fairfield, CA for a mid-range dinner for two. Groceries echo the gap at $407 vs $463 per month, with Austin, TX cheaper across the board.

Good to know

🇺🇸 Austin, TX

🇺🇸 Fairfield, CA

🕒 Local time

09:17 9:17 AM

07:17 7:17 AM

2 h behind Austin, TX

🌤 Weather

👥 Population

974,447

117,133

💱 Currency

United States Dollar USD $

📈 Exchange rate

1 USD = 0.892 EUR

Exchange rates and currency converter

On the map

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Highest

Between locations

Austin, TX Fairfield, CA 2,390 km ≈ 3 h 30 min nonstop flight

From you

Austin, TX
Fairfield, CA

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

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

Austin, TX wins on cost – living expenses run 32% lower than in Fairfield, CA. Housing and daily spending are where you’ll feel the difference most, making Austin, TX the obvious pick if budget is a priority.

Average pay runs 6% higher in Austin, TX, 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: $2,195 in Austin, TX versus $2,396 in Fairfield, CA. Housing is usually the single largest factor when comparing overall living costs between the two.

Childcare runs $1,458 in Austin, TX versus $1,293 in Fairfield, CA. Over years of preschool, even a modest monthly gap compounds into a major financial factor for families.

A monthly transit pass in Austin, TX runs roughly 52% less than in Fairfield, CA. The price difference matters if you commute daily and watch your budget.

Both cities are expensive relative to $2,000. Austin, TX is the more realistic option, but even there you’ll need to be disciplined with housing, food, and fun money.

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.